Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip Are Breaking *This* Major Christmas Tradition

There’s no denying that the current coronavirus pandemic has us all deviating from our usual holiday plans this year. And, as it turns out, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are making major changes to their Christmas celebrations, breaking a decades-long tradition. 

While the British royal family is known for spending Christmas together at Her Majesty’s Norfolk home, Sandringham estate, the queen and the princehave opted to forgo said tradition and, instead, will continue to isolate at Windsor Castle. 

“Having considered all the appropriate advice, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor,” a palace spokesperson revealed per Marie Claire. 

“They are fortunate to spend Christmas with their family every year, but they understand that their family will have competing demands over the Christmas period and are content to have a quiet festive season this year," a second source told the outlet. "Like everyone, their hope is that normality will return in 2021."

The royals have spent the holidays at Sandringham every year since 1988 (!). Not to mention, their Christmas Day tradition of walking together (we miss the Fab Four, already) to services at the estate's St. Mary Magdalene church has become an annual event for royal fans worldwide. 

While things may look a bit different this year, we’d imagine their low-key holiday at Windsor will include plenty of decorations, Zooms, corgi-menus and cups of tea (or gin). 

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