Will Kate And William Cancel This Royal Christmas Tradition Because Of The Pandemic?
The royal family's Christmas plans may be in jeopardy this year. After 2020 caused the family to be apart for the holiday season, the royals are reportedly eager to gather together this year and rally around Queen Elizabeth as it's her first Christmas without her beloved husband, Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 back in April. According to Express, there are fears that the queen could face Christmas alone due to the surging COVID-19 cases and the new Omicron variant.
However, Elizabeth is said to be determined to get back some normalcy this holiday season and is doing all that she can to be able to spend Christmas with her family in Norfolk. "The Queen and the rest of the family are mindful the situation is ever-changing and many thousands of families may also be affected," a source told The Mirror. "A decision on whether the Queen travels as planned will be made as soon as possible. Like many other families, this will be the first time Her Majesty can gather with her extended family after being kept apart for so long due to the coronavirus pandemic."
Of course, the rest of the royals are doing their part to ensure that they'll be able to gather together. Prince William and Kate Middleton are even considering canceling a beloved Christmas tradition due to COVID.
The royal family is being cautious this holiday season
The Sun reports that Prince William and Kate Middleton are taking precautions to ensure that they and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will be able to spend Christmas with Queen Elizabeth this year. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have reportedly decided to cancel their holiday plans so they can gather around the monarch without fear of spreading COVID to her or other members of the family.
Cosmopolitan reports that the Cambridges and family may even cancel the long-standing tradition of their Christmas Day walk, which features the royals walking to church and greeting their subjects. William's father, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, as well as Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie have also agreed to cancel the rest of their holiday festivities to reduce the risk of spreading illness.
The royal family's decision comes just days after the queen decided to cancel her annual Christmas family luncheon due to the quickly spreading Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. Elizabeth reportedly canceled the lunch in hopes of keeping her family members healthy so that they could spend Christmas Day together at Sandringham as planned. However, the queen's aides reveal that her holiday plans "continue to be under review," per The Mirror.
It appears that the royals are doing everything in their power to be able to spend the holidays together and gather around Queen Elizabeth as she faces her first Christmas without Prince Philip.