Like the rest of us, Queen Elizabeth’s holiday looks a little different this year thanks to COVID-19. In fact, he forced her to break a 33-year-old Christmas tradition.
Every year, the British monarch traditionally spends Christmas at Sandringham House, where the royal family – including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – join him. However, the pandemic prevented them from celebrating at home in the country this year.
Instead, the Queen is spending Christmas at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip, for the first time since 1987. “Given all the proper advice, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have decided to spend Christmas this year in Windsor in peace.” A spokesman for Buckingham Palace announced in early December, according to ABC News.
“They are lucky to spend Christmas with the family every year, but I understand that their family will have competing requirements during the Christmas period and is happy to have a quiet festive season this year,” a source said. people. “Like everyone else, their hope is that normalcy will return in 2021.”
As for the rest of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are celebrating Christmas in California with their son Archie, while Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children will spend their holidays at Anmer Hall, their rural property in Norfolk. The Queen’s son, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are staying at their Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove House.
Despite the change of plans, the 94-year-old royal matriarch still gave her annual Christmas speech, giving the world a message of hope in these difficult times.
“Every year, we announce the arrival of Christmas by turning on the lights. And the light does more than create a festive mood – the light brings hope,” she began. “For Christians, Jesus is the ‘light of the world,’ but we cannot usually celebrate his birth today.”
She continued: “People of all faiths could not gather as they would like for their festivals, such as Easter, Easter, Eid and Vaisakhi,” Queen Elizabeth continued before adding: “But we need life to continue ”.
“Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people out has brought us closer, in many ways,” she said. they and the other missing friends and family – members distanced for safety, when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a handshake “.
The Queen offered her thoughts and prayers to those in mourning or separated from their families during the holiday before concluding her speech, which you can follow in full above. “Let the light of Christmas – the spirit of altruism, love and above all hope – guide us into the times to come,” she said. “In this spirit I wish you a very merry Christmas.”