The Queen and Prince Philip skip Christmas in Sandringham for the first time in 33 years

Buckingham Palace said the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh would spend Christmas in Windsor instead of Sandringham by tradition.

The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, usually spend the holidays and the New Years with their family on a private 8,000-hectare estate in Norfolk.

This is the first time they have given up Christmas at Sandringham in 33 years.

A spokesman for the Queen said, “After considering all the appropriate advice, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh decided to spend this Christmas quietly in Windsor.”

There has been speculation about where the pair will enjoy the festive period after that COVID Guidelines Families were forced to choose up to three families to see during the holidays.

Sky News understands that the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will be in Highgrove on Christmas Day, but we expect that they will have a chance to see the Queen and Philip in Windsor at some point.

The Duchess of Cornwall will also see her family during the holidays.

There is currently no confirmation of how and where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend Christmas.

This would mark a major turnaround for the royal fans who usually gather in Sandringham by the thousands to catch a glimpse of the royals attending Mass on Christmas Day at St Mary Magdalene Church.

Megan Markle The happiest onlookers were when she attended her first royal birthday in Sandringham in 2017.

The Queen and her companion were staying at Windsor Castle during this period Full closure; Safely inside HMS Bubble – the nickname given to employee household members.

The royal family used to spend Christmas at Windsor Castle, but that changed in 1988 when they switched to Sandringham while reconnecting Windsor.

Analysis by Rhiannon Mills, Royal Correspondent

It’s the year the family’s Christmas plans will look very different due to the pandemic and the royal family is no different.

For the first time in 33 years, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will not take a train to Sandringham, instead opting to spend Christmas peacefully at Windsor Castle.

In some ways it was to be expected. Throughout the year, everything was done to keep the 94-year-old queen and her 99-year-old husband as safe from the virus as possible, while only allowing a small bubble of people near them.

But in reality, they used to have a family Christmas in Windsor anyway. In 1988 they moved ceremonies to Sandringham because of the rewiring of Windsor.

Of course, Prince Edward and his family live close by and Prince Andrew and his daughters live in Windsor.

We are told that the Queen and Prince Philip may see some of their family members, but they realize that their families will have competing demands over the Christmas period, and they are content with a quiet festive period this year.

Of course, there are many people who also like to spend Christmas morning with the royals.

I’ve been there as thousands have gathered in Sandringham since 5 am to watch them take to the church.

At least there is one royal tradition this Christmas that we will all be able to share; The Queen’s Christmas message will continue to air at 3 PM on Christmas Day.

I doubt there will be any prizes for guessing what the topic is likely to be after a year that is gripped by COVID-19.