Solace at Sandringham THE QUEEN'S FESTIVE SILVER LINING

Keen to carry on with Christmas, Her Majesty is honouring her beloved duke’s memory with a family tradition he loved

- Judy Kean

She could be forgiven for not hosting Christmas this year or at least scaling down the celebrations. But despite the stresses of 2021, and her own health worries, the Queen is determined to go ahead with the royal family’s festive traditions as usual.

“This year, more than ever, it is incredibly important for Her Majesty to be surrounded by her loved ones,” says a palace insider, referring to the fact that this is the first Christmas she will spend without her husband, Prince Philip, who died in April.

“The Duke of Edinburgh will be very much missed, which is all the more reason why other family members need to be there to help the Queen deal with the occasion, which will be very poignant.”

When her four children were small, Christmas was always held at Windsor Castle. But in the 1980s, when the castle was undergoing extensive rewiring work, the celebrations were moved to Sandringham House in Norfolk and the family enjoyed the break there so much that Christmases at Sandringham have become an annual tradition. That is apart from last year when the Queen and Philip had to spend Christmas alone because of the Covid lockdown.