Like the rest of us, Queen Elizabeth’s holiday looks a little different this year due to COVID-19. In fact, it 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 their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – joins her. However, the pandemic prevented them from celebrating at the country house this year.
Instead, the Queen is spending Christmas at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip, for the first time since 1987. “Having considered all the appropriate advice, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh decided that this year they will spend the Christmas quietly in Windsor, ”announced a spokesman for Buckingham Palace in early December, as ABC news.
“They are fortunate to spend Christmas with their family every year, but understand that their family will have conflicting demands during the Christmas period and are happy to have a peaceful festive season this year,” said a source People. “Like everyone, the hope is that normalcy will return in 2021.”
As for the rest of royalty, 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 the holiday at Anmer Hall, their Norfolk country estate. The queen’s son, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are staying at his Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove House.
Despite the change in plans, the 94-year-old royal matriarch still gave her annual Christmas address, offering the world a message of hope in the midst of these difficult times.
“Every year, we announce the arrival of Christmas, 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 celebrate his birth today in the usual way.”
She continued: “People of all religions have not been able to gather as they would like at their festivals, such as Easter, Easter, Eid and Vaisakhi,” continued Queen Elizabeth before adding, “But we need life to continue.”
“Surprisingly, a year that necessarily separated people has brought us together in many ways,” she said. “Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness: some mourning the loss of their loved ones themselves, and other missing friends and family – distant members for safety, when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or handshake. ”
The Queen offered her thoughts and prayers to those who were grieving or separated from their families during the holiday before concluding her speech, which you can watch in full above. “May the light of Christmas – the spirit of self-denial, love and, above all, hope – guide us in the times to come,” she said. “It is in this spirit that I wish you a very happy Christmas.”