Like the rest of us, Queen Elizabeth’s holiday looks a little different this year because of COVID-19. In fact, it has forced him 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, join her. However, the pandemic has prevented them from celebrating this year at home.
Instead, the Queen spends Christmas at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip, for the first time since 1987. “After considering all the appropriate advice, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor, ”a spokesman for Buckingham Palace announced in early December, according to paragraph ABC News.
“They are lucky to spend Christmas with their family every year, but they understand that their family will have competitive demands during the Christmas period and are content with a quiet festive season this year,” a source said. People. “Like everyone else, their hope is for normalcy to return in 2021.”
As for the rest of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate Christmas in California with their son Archie, while Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children will spend the holidays at Anmer Hall, the his rustic estate in Norfolk. The Queen’s son, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are staying on their Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove House.
Despite the change of plans, the 94-year-old royal matriarch still delivered her annual Christmas speech, offering the world a hopeful message amid these difficult times.
“Every year we announce the coming of Christmas by turning on the lights. And the light does more than create a festive atmosphere: the light brings hope,” he began. “For Christians, Jesus is ‘the light of the world,’ but today we cannot celebrate his birth in the most usual way.”
She continued: “People of all faiths have not been able to gather as they would like for their festivals, such as Easter, Easter, Eid and Vaisakhi,” Queen Elizabeth continued before adding: “But we need life to keep going.”
“Surprisingly, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has brought us closer, in many ways,” he said. “Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness: some mourn the loss of their loved ones, and other missing friends and family, members distanced for safety, when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a helping hand “.
The Queen offered her thoughts and prayers to those who were grieving or separated from their families during the holidays before concluding her speech, which you can see in full above. “Let the light of Christmas, the spirit of selflessness, love and above all hope, guide us in the times to come,” he said. “It is in this spirit that I wish you a very Merry Christmas.”