The Queen Reportedly Cancelled Her Pre-Christmas Fam Lunch For 1 Important Reason
She also didn't host one in 2020.
It seems Queen Elizabeth II may have canceled her 2021 pre-Christmas family lunch. A source at Buckingham Palace reportedly confirmed the cancelation to CNN and People. While the Palace hasn’t released an official statement, if it’s true, it would mark the second year in a row that the queen was forced to call off her annual tradition. Last year, she didn’t host the event due to COVID restrictions, and it seems the reason behind her decision this time is equally as important.
The royals were supposedly set to get together at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, Dec. 21, but according to the source, the queen felt it was best to call it off following the surge in COVID cases in the United Kingdom. As the source told CNN, hosting the lunch would risk guests’ Christmas plans. The source added that while there is “regret” that the lunch has been canceled, it was “the right thing to do.”
The cancelation comes just over a week after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new COVID measures on Dec. 8 to deal with the incoming "tidal wave" of infections from the Omicron variant. With the measures, known as “Plan B,” people in England are being asked to work from home whenever possible. They’re also required to wear face masks in cinemas, theaters, and most outdoor places, and show proof of vaccination to enter nightclubs and other large venues.
In 2020, a spokesperson at Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband, Prince Philip, wouldn’t be having big plans for the holidays due to the lockdown. “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,” the spokesperson said at the time. “Like everyone, their hope is that normality will return in 2021.”
Unfortunately, it seems the royal family will have to wait another year to continue their annual holiday tradition.
