The Queen and Prince Philip may get to see family members after all this Christmas

The Queen and Prince Philip have recently announced their intention to celebrate Christmas “quietly’ at Windsor Castle this year.

• The Queen and Prince Philip will be celebrating at Windsor Castle (opens in new tab) and it's thought they won't be forming a Christmas Bubble.
• Sources now claim that Prince Charles is likely to visit the royal couple in December.
• In other Royal News (opens in new tab), Sophie, Countess of Wessex has showcased her baking skills once more in her latest appearance (opens in new tab).

The news that the Queen and Prince Philip will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle followed much speculation over which of the royal couple’s relatives might be joining their festive bubble (opens in new tab). The revelation that the Queen will be having a quiet Christmas has suggested to many that she and Prince Philip have chosen not to form one. 

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have now announced that they will be spending Christmas in Gloucestershire this year. And whilst it’s not yet known where Prince William and Duchess Catherine (opens in new tab) will be spending it, it’s thought they will be joining Michael and Carole Middleton for the festivities. 

Now some have claimed that the Queen may receive a visit from family before the Christmas season is over. 

Who might the Queen get to see at Christmas?

With the traditional royal Christmas celebrations at Sandringham cancelled due to covid-19 (opens in new tab), Prince Charles will be celebrating in Gloucestershire. 

However, Prince Charles is thought by some to be among the family members who may head to the Berkshire castle (opens in new tab) for a visit in late December. 

The Daily Express royal correspondent, Richard Palmer, has written on Twitter that: ‘Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be at Highgrove for Christmas Day but expect to see the Queen and Philip at Windsor at some point’.

Meanwhile Vanity Fair have revealed a source’s claims that Charles is “planning a visit” so that “he can see his parents over Christmas”. 

They report that courtiers are supposedly “relieved” that the Queen and Prince Philip “will be able to see some family members”. 

Who else might visit the Queen this Christmas?

If Prince Charles does in fact decide to pay his parents a visit this Christmas, he may not be the only one. Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson both live at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. This is just a 15 minute drive from Windsor Castle. 

The couple’s youngest daughter Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank also live close by.

It was recently revealed that the couple, who are expecting their first child next year, have moved into Frogmore Cottage (opens in new tab). 

The property remains the official UK residence of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan (opens in new tab), Duchess of Sussex and is just a 10 minute drive away from the castle. 

Eugenie and Jack were both seen arriving at Balmoral Castle earlier in the summer where they conducted a socially-distanced visit to the Queen.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children also visited the Queen and Prince Philip at Balmoral this summer. Whilst it was the Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie (opens in new tab), Countess of Wessex who had been tipped to be the first to join the monarch’s festive bubble.

The success of these socially-distanced occasions has perhaps paved the way for Christmas visits this year. Whether anyone will end up making the trip to Windsor Castle remains to be seen.

Though the Queen would no doubt be pleased to see some of her family for a brief socially-distanced visit in what has been a difficult year.