Christmas will not have the same taste for the British royal family this year.
Queen Elizabeth II has canceled her traditional stay at her residence in Sandringham, in the east of England, for Christmas, which she will celebrate this year at Windsor Castle, near London, British media reported on Monday.
The 95-year-old sovereign took this "personal decision after careful consideration", explained a source close to the monarchy to the British news agency PA, for whom this choice "reflects a cautious approach".
"Members of the (royal) family will come to Windsor during the Christmas period", assures the same anonymous source, according to which "reasonable precautions and all appropriate directives will be followed".
Read also What could force Elizabeth II to abdicate?
The monarch, who his doctors advised in October to rest after a night in hospital, and close members of the Royal Family traditionally spend Christmas in Sandringham, where they attend church on Christmas Day. The queen had already given up as a precaution to organize her traditional family reunion which was to bring together about fifty people this Tuesday at Windsor Castle, now her main residence, for the first time since the death of her husband Philip in April. "The Queen" has left its Buckingham Palace, which still attracts so many tourists, however, especially as the holiday season approaches.
🎄Christmas is here!
This week The Band of The Scots Guards treated us to a festive performance of 'Troika' on the Buckingham Palace Forecourt.
💂‍♂️This iconic ceremony marks the moment the soldiers on duty, the Old Guard, exchange places with the New Guard.
@ArmyInLondon pic.twitter.com/eqhIVyU8DB
- The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 17, 2021
Omicron variant outbreak in UK
Faced with the outbreak of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom, which recorded 91,743 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours on Monday, some Britons are worried and are canceling their outings to preserve their family Christmas, but others say they are hostile to harsh restrictions. On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that he "would not hesitate to take more restrictive measures" to stem the spread of the Omicron variant, without however proceeding with the turn of the screw demanded by some.
"For now we want people to focus on caution," the conservative leader told televisions after an extraordinary cabinet meeting, citing ventilation and the wearing of masks.
According to the authorities, at least fourteen people infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have so far died and 129 are hospitalized in the United Kingdom, one of the countries already among the most affected by the pandemic in Europe with more than 147,000 dead.
