Queen Elizabeth might decide to forego with the royal family's traditional Christmas celebrations in Sandringham this year due to the health risks. After Prince Harry expressed his plan to come home with Meghan Markle and Archie Harrison for the holidays, the Queen's royal aides reportedly advised the monarch to cancel family gatherings this December.
A source told Closer Weekly that the Queen was informed Christmas celebrations this year will still be very risky as COVID-19 cases keep rising in the U.K. Royal aides said it will not be a good idea to have her big family reunite at her Sandringham holiday home.
The royals also do not want to encourage crowds gathering at the Sandringham grounds for their annual Christmas walk to church. The celebrations at the Queen's home also require a high number of staff to prepare the royal family's feast and attend to their needs.
So, while the Queen looks forward to this family event, sources said that Her Majesty is drawing up an alternate plan that might include just a smaller number of family members.
The news comes days after sources close to Harry and Meghan said that the couple is making travel plans for Christmas. Though the Sussexes are "taking it one day at a time," they have high hopes they can finally fly to London for the holidays.
Harry is apparently eager for his son, Archie, to see Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in person after bonding on their frequent Zoom calls. The Duke of Sussex is excited about the prospect of his grandparents seeing their great-grandson again after more than a year.
In 2019, Harry and Meghan skipped Christmas with the royal family since they flew to Canada and celebrated with friends. The Sussexes also took this time to think about their plans as they had been mulling on giving up their royal duties.
According to Daily Express, the Queen might still want to have Harry, Meghan and Archie for Christmas even if she's reducing the number of family members present. The Sussexes will be on top of the monarch's guest list this year since she hasn't seen them in a long while.
The only problem with this arrangement is if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be able to get through the travel restrictions. Rules of the lockdown might change in time for the holidays but the report cited the U.K. government is on guard against a COVID-19 second wave that will mean another strict isolation for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
