The Queen will celebrate Christmas at Windsor as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread rapidly.
Queen Elizabeth II has decided to break with tradition and celebrate Christmas at Windsor Castle rather than at her Sandringham estate as the Omicron variant spreads across the UK for the second year in a row.
The decision comes as Britain is gripped by rising numbers of cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and the possible introduction of new restrictions. Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency quoted an unnamed royal source as saying the decision “was a personal one taken after careful consideration”.
It is confirmed that the monarch will instead celebrate the holiday at Windsor Castle, west of London, and be joined by members of the royal family.
Buckingham Palace said the queen’s choice “reflects a precautionary approach” as the COVID-19 omicron variant continues to spread across the U.K. in recent weeks since the outbreak. The UK recorded 91,743 new cases on Monday and 44 deaths.
Before the pandemic, every year members of the royal family would spend the holidays with the queen at the estate and open their presents on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas Day, they attend church services at St. Mary’s Magdalene Church. Afterward, they would head back to Sandringham for lunch and other festivities.
Last week, Queen Elizabeth canceled her traditional Christmas lunch. She was hoping to host her extended family for the annual get-together next week after last year’s festivities were called off due to coronavirus restrictions.
A lot of royal reporters got the news saying: “Her Majesty has decided to celebrate Christmas at Windsor and will not travel to Sandringham. The decision was a personal one after careful consideration and reflects a precautionary approach.”
This would be the second year in a row that the Queen canceled her traditional Christmas trip to Sandringham and the first without her husband Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021.
The couple had spent Christmas together last year at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, south-east England. At that time, there was a surge in Delta variants of COVID-19 in the country.
In the last 7 days, more than 584,000 new cases have been recorded and 786 deaths. Some family is scheduled to go and visit the royals at Windsor palace over the Christmas period and all appropriate guidelines will be surely followed.
The Queen’s aides have decided and advised that the monarch will “close the gates to her private grounds” and sources say that royal staff “fully expect” the footpath will be fenced off.
It comes as the government said it is monitoring data “hour by hour” on whether legal restrictions need to be imposed on Christmas gatherings as the UK recorded another daily COVID high of 91,743 infections.
Royal sources stated that while there is “regret that it is canceled, there is a belief that it is the right thing to do for all concerned.”
Boris Johnson, Britain’s Prime Minister also resisted calls from scientists to impose tougher restrictions on social mixing before the festive season this weekend.