For the first time since she took the crown in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II is foregoing her annual Christmas gift giving ceremony for her workers.
WATCH: Watch young Queen Elizabeth’s first televised Christmas message from 1957
Every year in December, Her Majesty spreads Christmas cheer by personally presenting select members of her royal staff with gifts to thank them for a year of loyal service.
But this season, the merry tradition will unfortunately be broken due to COVID-19.
This silly season, for the first time in over 30 years, the Queen and Prince Philip will be marking the occasion at Windsor Castle, rather than engaging in the usual festivities at Sandringham Estate.
The royal relocation means that the Queen will be unable to hand out her staff gifts in person, instead resorting to sending them via mail.
And it’s not just the present ceremony that Her Majesty’s loyal workers will miss out on.
Every year, it is tradition for 1500 of the Queen’s workers to enjoy a delectable Christmas pudding, courtesy of the monarch herself and accompanied by a greeting card from the 94-year-old and her husband, Philip.
Considering the additional duties that Her Majesty’s workers were shouldered with during the pandemic, it is sure to come as blow to the monarch that she will not be able to express her gratitude in the traditional manner.
In April this year, it was announced that the Queen and Prince Philip were to lock-down in Windsor Castle. Heading into isolation, the couple chose 22 members of their staff to join them in order keep things running around the palace. The loyal workers were forced to sacrifice their home- and family- time for the entirety of the isolation period.
Earlier in the year The Sun reported that the Master of the Household and former Royal Navy officer, Tony Johnstone-Burt praised the loyal workers for their duty to her majesty in, what he jokingly labelled, the ‘HMS Bubble.’
Speaking of the heavy sacrifice the workers were making, the Master wrote, “There are 22 Royal Household staff inside the Bubble, and it struck me that our predicament is not dissimilar to my former life in the Royal Navy on a long overseas deployment.”
Johnstone-Burt continued, “Indeed, the challenges that we are facing whether self-isolating alone at home, or with our close household and families, have parallels with being at sea away from home for many months, and having to deal with a sense of dislocation, anxiety and uncertainty.”
The ex-Navy officer ended his statement optimistically, stating, “I’m sure that we shall emerge as a stronger, more considerate and more resilient Royal Household team as a result and able to do our duty for the Queen.”
The dedication of Her Majesty’s team through what has been a turbulent year for the royals makes it all the more sad that the Queen won’t be able to thank them in person this Christmas.
