Queen Elizabeth Preparing for 'Normal' Christmas Despite Ongoing Health Concerns

By Allison Schonter

Two month after she was hospitalized and ordered to rest, Queen Elizabeth is said to be preparing for a "normal" Christmas season with other members of the British royal family. The 95-year-old monarch, who has been on "light" desk duty since her health concerns first arose and who has not made any public appearances since mid-October, has reportedly received the go-ahead from doctors to move forward with the royal family's annual holiday travels and traditions.

According to the Daily Mail, Her Majesty's holiday festivities will begin her private pre-festive season party, which she holds annually for extended family members. Due to the pandemic, however, the get together hasn't been held since 2019, with 2021 set to mark a return to normalcy despite the Queen's recent health scares. A source did caution, however, that "it won't be a normal Christmas, but like many families around the country, it will be as normal as it can get." As such, the Queen is expected to host the party at Windsor Castle, where she has lived since the start of the pandemic, rather than Buckingham Palace.

Shortly after the party, the Queen will travel to her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk for Christmas, where she will be joined by other members of the royal family for the holiday. Due to her age and health, the monarch will forego her typical travel by train and will instead fly to East Anglia by helicopter.

Outside of family events, the Daily Mail reports the public can expect to see Her Majesty as well, the first by way of her annual Christmas message. Recorded at Windsor Castle before she heads to her Sandringham Estate and broadcast to the Commonwealth of Nations, the Christmas message has been a yearly tradition dating back to 1957. It is expected that in her 2021 Christmas message, the Queen will reflect on the April death of her husband, Prince Philip, as well as the "heartening" show of community strength seen throughout the nation during the Covid pandemic.

Royal watchers can possibly expect to see the Queen outside of just videos and photographs, though, as palace aides are said to be exploring options for the Queen to make public appearances over the next two weeks leading up to Christmas. Since her health concerns first arose, the Queen has almost exclusively been on "light" desk duty, and has mostly just attended events via video calls. Her last appearance in public was at a Windsor Castle reception on Oct. 19. However, palace aides are hopeful that the Queen will be able to take part in a short public engagement in the castle grounds, something that would be seen as a "small shot of joy" in difficult times. At this time, the palace has not confirmed any public engagements, so it remains to be seen if those hopes will come to fruition.

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