Royal Family Braces for First Christmas Without Queen Elizabeth

This Christmas will mark the first that the royal family will spend without Queen Elizabeth II by their side. How are they planning to celebrate the occasion this year without the matriarch? According to PEOPLE, it will be "hard," but they're determined to keep their traditions alive. 

The royal family will return to Sandringham to celebrate Christmas, a return to form after two years of spending the holiday apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also incorporate their traditions of exchanging gag gifts and their walk to church on Christmas day. Since this will be the royal family's first Christmas without Queen Elizabeth, it will be an understandably difficult affair. A former palace staffer told PEOPLE, "It will be hard, as the Queen was all they knew, like most of Britain." They added, "The first year is most difficult, as it is always the first of everything that you notice."

Elizabeth died in September at the age of 96. She was the longest-reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom at the time of her death. Of course, the royal family continues to honor her memory just as Kate Middleton did recently at Westminster Abbey. On Tuesday, the Princess of Wales planted a wild cherry tree in Dean's Yard, which is located at Westminster Abbey. The location holds significance for both Kate and Elizabeth. It was where Kate wed Prince William in 2011 and where Elizabeth wed Prince Philip in 1947. Additionally, Westminster Abbey was the location for Elizabeth's coronation and her state funeral. Kate reportedly planted the tree as a part of Queen's Green Canopy, which was an initiative that saw over one million trees planted in Elizabeth's honor to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. 

The royal family has been vocal about how life will be different following the loss of the monarch. Shortly after her death, William, the new Prince of Wales, shared a lengthy statement in which he reflected on his grandmother's legacy. He wrote, "So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign. I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade." William continued to reflect on some of the happier times that he shared with his grandmother, writing, "She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."