Is The Queen Really Still Doing This For Christmas?
The holidays have been a bit different for Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family recently. In 2020, the Queen was forced to cancel her annual Christmas festivities with her family due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, she and her late husband, Prince Philip, celebrated by themselves with their staff at Windsor Castle, where they had quarantined for most of the year (via People).
Sadly, this year will also be a bit different for the Queen as it will mark her first Christmas without her beloved husband the Duke of Edinburgh, who died back in April at the age of 99, per the BBC. In addition, her majesty has also been battling health issues after being hospitalized in November and canceling many of her public appearances following the health scare, The New York Times reported.
However, it appears that the Queen is determined to celebrate the holidays with her family in 2021 and she's ready to host her loved ones to carry on her usual traditions, despite a new variant of the COVID-19 virus.
Queen Elizabeth II will still host her annual Christmas lunch
Although Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals have been outspoken about taking precautions and getting vaccinated during the pandemic, the Queen has decided to continue on with the holiday festivities. "Currently it is going ahead but obviously it will be under review right up until the last moment," a source told the The Sun.
The plan is for the Queen to hold her annual Christmas lunch next week. The event will see about 50 members of the royal family head to Windsor Castle to gather for the feast. The lunch was originally slated to be held at Buckingham Palace. However, due to the Queen's recent health issues, the location was moved to the castle, where the Queen has been spending much of her time.
"It is Windsor Castle so it will be pretty easy to socially distance if needed," the insider added. "There is no way the Queen wants to let anything get in the way of a family event like this. But obviously, everyone must act responsibly and things can change in a short period of time but as it stands they're all set for Tuesday."