The Queen's Christmas bubble will mean a smaller gathering this year.
- The Queen's Christmas at Sandringham will be a little different than usual this year.
- Her majesty the Queen will have to sacrifice seeing her all of family like the rest of the nation, but who will be in her royal bubble?
- This royal news comes after it was confirmed that Meghan Markle suffered a miscarriage earlier this year
The Queen's Christmas Day plans will already look slightly different this year with the on going coronavirus pandemic but like the rest of the UK, she will have to pick who to have in her Christmas bubble.
And with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh having a large family - of four children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren - no matter who she chooses she is bound to leave someone out.
Traditionally the whole of the Royal Family descends on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk for the festive period, but with the governments' coronavirus rules - even though they will be relaxed - only three households are permitted to mix from December 23-27 and that bubble must be exclusive over the five-day period.
As a result, people cannot move from one group to another.
Who will be in the Queen's royal Christmas bubble?
Well, usually those joining the monarch are the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice and her then fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the Princess Royal and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
And while a final decision of the Queen's Christmas plans ins't expected until another couple of weeks, the royal family will have to decide whether spending Christmas with Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and Prince Phillip, 99, is wise.
The couple who just celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary, could perhaps choose Prince Charles and Camilla as part of the bubble but in doing so Camilla would be unable to see her own children and grandchildren.
Or The Queen could invite youngest son Edward, with his wife Sophie and their children Lady Louise Windsor, 16, and 12-year-old Viscount Severn, who form one household.
Meanwhile the Princess Royal could attend along with Prince Andrew but they too have their own children with whom they might want to form a bubble with.
And its thought the Cambridges might want to spend Christmas with Kate's family too so there are some tough decisions to be made.
Shop the ultimate royal Christmas
Another alternative is for the the monarch to spend Christmas at Windsor - where the Queen spent most of lockdown - and if she did, it would be the first time in more than 30 years that she has spent Christmas at the historic Berkshire castle.
The Queen's Christmas Day celebrations have become iconic over the years and while none of us (including Her Majesty) will be having the huge festive celebrations we once knew, we can certainly add a touch of royal luxury to our yuletide occasions.
