Queen Elizabeth was able to hear mass on Christmas Day in a COVID-19 secure chapel inside Windsor Castle. The monarch attended a private service as she could not travel to Sandringham for the traditional Christmas morning mass due to government restrictions.
According to Daily Express, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent the rest of Christmas Day together after hearing the mass. It was quiet and far different from what they used to do since the royal family scrapped plans to gather and celebrate this year.
That afternoon, the Queen's pre-recorded Christmas speech aired on BBC and ITV. Her Majesty shared her message of hope and assured those who won't spend the holidays with their family that they are not alone.
Queen Elizabeth said that as families and friends are kept apart due to the necessary social distancing measures, the current situation has also brought people closer with technology's help. Her Majesty said that despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, life still goes on.
Meanwhile, the Queen's eldest son, Prince Charles, spent Christmas Day with his wife, Camilla, at his farming estate in Highgrove House. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall shared a photo to wish the public a "happy Christmas" and a "better New Year," which had been taken early in the year from their other house in Birkhall, Scotland.
Prince Charles, however, could make a quick visit to his mother and father in Windsor Castle sometime during this holiday.
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales' youngest brother, Prince Edward, and sister-in-law, Sophie Wessex, did actually go to church in Sandringham on Christmas morning and were photographed with face masks. According to Hello, the Earl and Countess of Wessex were the only members of the royal family to continue with the annual tradition of hearing mass at the St Mary Magdalene Church this year. The Wessex pair and their kids, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, live in Surrey, but they have stayed at the Queen's Sandringham house for the holidays.
Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children spent the holidays nearby, at their home in Anmer Hall, but they didn't go to the Christmas service or met up with the Wessex family.
Residents of Norfolk told BBC that it's disappointing not to see the royal family this year. Some of them have been lining up every Christmas morning at the Sandringham church for the last 32 years and are known to the royals by their first names.
Meanwhile, the Queen's other children, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew are believed to have spent Christmas Day at their respective homes. Princess Anne lives in Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, where her children, Peter and Zara, have houses nearby.
Prince Andrew has been staying at the Royal Lodge in Windsor with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. It's unclear if Andrew went to see his mother for the holidays since he's just around the estate.
