The Queen's Christmas Bubble may exclude Prince William and Duchess Catherine as plans are finalised

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may well find themselves unable to join the Queen for Christmas this year as new restrictions come into force. 

• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may miss out on spending Christmas with the Queen in light of new restrictions.
• Some believe their children's attendance at school might increase the risk.
• In other Royal News, we reveal which 6 Royal Christmas traditions will be cancelled this year because of Covid-19. 

The Queen and Prince Philip are able to form a Christmas bubble consisting of no more than two other households between December 23-27. The monarch has yet to announce which of her four children, eight grandchildren and eight grandchildren will be joining them. 

It is believed that this decision will be announced over the coming weeks. However, some have already suggested that Prince William and Duchess Catherine might miss out on a Royal Christmas this year. 

And it could all come down to their three small children. 

Why might Prince William and Duchess Catherine be excluded from the Queen's bubble?

Whilst the Queen is famously very fond of Prince William and Catherine’s young children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, it is believed that she will be listening to the latest government advice carefully.  

During the first nationwide lockdown, the Duke and Duchess retreated with their children to their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. 

Here they spent the remainder of lockdown, returning to London in time for Prince George and Princess Charlotte to return to their school, Thomas’s Battersea for the new term. 

Some expected the royal couple to do the same during England’s second lockdown. However, Prince William and Catherine instead chose to remain at Kensington Palace. Throughout this time, both George and Charlotte are believed to have continued attending school as usual.

It is for this reason that some have now suggested the Queen might decide against including the Cambridges as part of her Christmas Bubble.

Why does Prince George and Princess Charlotte going to school affect the Queen?

Prince George (7) and Princess Charlotte (5) are young enough that they and their brother Prince Louis (2) might not display severe symptoms of Covid-19 if they were to get it after interacting with others at school. 

Meanwhile, the Queen and Prince Philip are both in the highest risk bracket. The Duke of Edinburgh was also hospitalised last Christmas, which may be another factor in the couple’s festive decisions. 

A source reportedly told the Daily Telegraph that the Queen and Prince Philip "will sort it out between them” and that their decision “will be about what’s practical."

The source also supposedly added that the potential risks surrounding young children who have been mixing with others at school would "clearly" be taken into consideration.

Where else could Prince William and Duchess Catherine spend Christmas?

It could be that if the Queen and Prince Philip choose to include other members of the wider Royal Family in their bubble, the Cambridges will be looking at their first non-royal Christmas in several years.

There have already been reports that the three children will be helping their grandmother Carole Middleton to decorate her Christmas tree over Zoom. 

Now, the family could elect to spend Christmas with the Middleton family in person at the family home in Berkshire. 

Though the ‘two households’ rule would of course mean that one of Catherine’s siblings Pippa Matthews and James Middleton would be unable to celebrate with the family. 

Whatever choice is made, it seems certain that the Royal Family will be facing a very different Christmas this year!