Queen’s regret as she’s forced to call off family Xmas lunch
THE Queen has ‘regretfully’ been forced to cancel her traditional preChristmas family lunch next week amid soaring coronavirus cases.
It is understood that the meal for up to 50 relatives, which would have been held at Windsor Castle next Tuesday, has been scrapped for fear of putting their own Christmas arrangements at risk.
A senior royal aide told the Daily Mail that, while disappointing, the Queen felt it was ‘the right thing to do’ in the circumstances.
‘The decision is a precautionary one as it is felt to put too many people’s Christmas arrangements at risk if it went ahead,’ one royal aide said.
‘While there is regret that it is cancelled, there is a belief it is the right thing to do for all concerned.’
Another source added: ‘The Queen always leads by example.’
It comes after Chief Medical Officer Chris Witty urged people to cut down on socialising in the runup to the big day and prioritise ‘what really matters to you’.
Just last week the 95-year-old monarch had been keen for the event to go ahead, albeit switching the venue from Buckingham Palace to Windsor, where she has spent the last 20 months.
It is always held a day or so before she departs for Christmas at Sandringham and allows her to celebrate with her large, extended family. A traditional turkey dinner is served at 1pm, followed by Christmas pudding and accompanied by champagne and wines. There are crackers, jokes and party hats.
The young members of the family normally dine separately along with their nannies, and sometimes an entertainer.
It allows the Queen to celebrate with those who aren’t invited to Sandringham, where space is limited, such as the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and their offspring.
‘Everything is so informal. There are no outsiders, so it’s all about catching up with each other,’ a source familiar with the event has said.
This year is the Queen’s first Christmas without the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April. ‘The duke loved having all the family around at Christmas. The rest of her family would definitely want to rally round and support the Queen this year,’ a source told the Mail.
The Queen is still intending to host Christmas for her immediate family at Sandringham. However, she will continue to monitor the developing national situation.