The Omicron variant messes up Queen Elizabeth's Christmas plans. The 95-year-old sovereign, who has been mostly retired on the orders of doctors for the past two months and has also undergone a rare hospitalization for unspecified checks, will not spend next Christmas in the country residence of Sandringham in Norfolk, as does usually with the rest of the royal family.
The British court announced today, motivating the decision with the surge in infections fueled by the new mutation, specifying that Elizabeth will instead remain in Windsor Castle during the celebration of the holiday.
In recent days the court had already announced the renunciation by His Majesty of the custom of the Christmas banquet extended to the extended family.
A palace source quoted tonight by the PA agency for its part specified that the cancellation of the transfer to Sandringham, a residence very dear to Elizabeth II and to the memory of Prince consort Philip, who died almost a centenary this year, was taken after an evaluation attentive to the health situation and in the name of a "precautionary" approach to the developments of the pandemic.
The source added that the queen will still receive visits from the heir to the throne Charles and other close family members in Windsor for Christmas, while respecting all "necessary precautions" and "guidelines" set by the government.
(Unioneonline / L)
