Millions of people across England woke up to new restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic on December 20th 2020. The revised rules, announced just hours earlier by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, include a Tier 4 which limits contact between households even further. The regulations will stay in place for the forseeable future meaning many Christmas plans will have to be cancelled as households in Tier 4 aren’t allowed to mix at all. And that could impact on how the Royal Family spend their Christmas.
Until the creation of Tier 4, festive rules meant that up to three households could get together and the relaxation on mixing would cover a five day period. Now, those living in the new tier aren’t allowed to mix indoors at all with people outside their household bubble. Residents in the other tiers will be allowed to get together over Christmas but only on December 25th now, rather than the planned five day period.
The Royal Family had already announced some of its festive plans with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh planning to spend Christmas by themselves at Windsor Castle. The famous royal residence is located in Berkshire which went into Tier 4 on December 20th. That means that no one from outside the Queen’s household bubble will be allowed to visit her until the rules are changed.
The Duke of York also lives in Berkshire while the Earl and Countess of Wessex’s home of Bagshot Park is in Surrey which is now under Tier 4 restrictions as well.
The whole of London is also in Tier 4 meaning all the royal homes there are subject to the much stricter rules. And if their regal residents didn’t leave London before Saturday then they should stay put in the capital. The new regulations say people living in Tier 4 areas should only leave them for specific purposes, such as work, and they shouldn’t stay overnight anywher else.
That means that the plans of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to pass the holiday season in their Gloucestershire home at Highgrove might have to be put on ice if they were still resident at Clarence House when midnight chimed on December 20th.
It’s understood that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children had already left the capital for their home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk early last week. Norfolk is in Tier 2 so they could welcome guests or travel to another home, provided it is in Tier 1 or 2. However, it had been reported that the Cambridges planned to spend the festive season with Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, at their family home in Bucklebury. That is in Buckinghamshire which is also now Tier 4 meaning those plans will have to be cancelled.
The Princess Royal and her children and grandchildren are all resident in Gloucestershire which is Tier 2 so they could meet up on Christmas Day but the celebration could only last one day.
