The royal family has a long line of Christmas traditions that usually take place over the festive period. However, it looks like Christmas may be a little different for some royals this year, as Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children will not be spending Christmas with the Queen, according to reports.
On top of the news that the Cambridges will be away from Her Majesty, the festive period will be slightly different for the Queen for another sad reason, as it's her first Christmas since Prince Philip's death.
While the Queen and other senior royals usually gather at Sandringham Estate for the big day, it's understood that the Queen will be staying at Windsor Castle this year, due to caution surrounding the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are thought to be remaining at Amner Hall in Norfolk, according to reports from The Mirror.
While William and Kate have traditionally taken part in the Christmas Day walk with the Queen and other royals at Sandringham, it's understood that they will be celebrating with members of the Middleton family in Norfolk this year.
The decision for the Queen to remain in Windsor was reportedly taken following "careful consideration", and is a "precautionary approach" in response to the ongoing spread of Covid across the country [via The Mirror].
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Other royals who won't be present with the Queen on Christmas Day include Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, who recently revealed he had tested positive for Covid which means the couple are currently isolating.
However, Prince Charles and Camilla are thought to be joining the Queen in Windsor, along with Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and their two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who recently shared the first photo of baby Lilibet, are understood to be staying in LA with Archie and Lili.
Emily Gulla was Cosmopolitan UK’s Former Editorial Assistant/Junior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer, covering celebs, TV and film for the site, magazine and video. She’s interviewed the casts of your favourite TV shows, from Bridgerton to Derry Girls and Stranger Things, as well as dozens of Love Islanders. She also loves getting stuck into long-read features, writing on all things digital culture (including her favourite topic: memes), and dating - having appeared on the radio to discuss dating.
Emily's work has also been published on ELLE, Women's Health, Harper's Bazaar, Digital Spy and more. She holds a First Class degree in English with Film Studies from King's College London, and even wrote her dissertation on Love Island. You can find Emily on Instagram and LinkedIn, and can see more of her work on her website.
