The Firm will NOT allow the Queen to be alone this Christmas, claims royal expert

The Royal Family will not allow the Queen to spend Christmas alone as she marks the festive season for the first time without the late Duke of Edinburgh, a royal expert has claimed.  

Her Majesty, who yesterday decided to miss her usual church service at Windsor as a precaution due to the increasing threat of the Omricon variant, is due to leave for Sandringham on Wednesday, but the plans are being kept under constant review.

Despite fears the 95-year-old monarch may abandon plans to host family festivities at the Norfolk estate, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl told True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat that it’s unlikely she will spend the holiday completelely alone. 

Prince Andrew is one of the names being mooted to join Her Majesty for Christmas Day because he is ‘always by the Queen’s side’.  

She added that following the death of Philip at the age of 99 in April, it’s possible Sarah Ferguson – who had a frosty relationship with the Duke – could join her former husband Prince Andrew for festivities.  

Her Majesty, who yesterday decided to miss her annual church service at Windsor as a precaution due to the increasing threat of Covid, is set to leave for Sandringham on Wednesday. She is pictured at Sandringham with her late husband in 2019 

‘The idea the Queen will be on her own for Christmas without Philip, I simply cannot believe the family will allow to happen, I don’t think it will happen’, Katie told True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat. 

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward added that Andrew, 61, will ‘definitely be there, he is always at the Queen’s side’ before Katie speculated that ‘maybe now Philip isn’t there, Fergie will be too’. 

The Queen yesterday missed her usual church service at Windsor as part of the measures being taken to protect the traditional Christmas celebrations, which have been held at Sandringham since 1988. 

This will be the first Christmas the Queen has marked since the death of her husband of 73 years, Philip, earlier this year and it is understood that family members are preparing to rally round her so she does not have to spend it alone. 

The royal expert added that following the death of Philip at the age of 99 in April, it’s possible Sarah Ferguson – who had a frosty relationship with the Duke – could join her former husband Prince Andrew for festivities. The Duke and Duchess of York are pictured at Ascot in 2019 

Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children, Prince Andrew and daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex’s family are expected to make the trip to join the Queen for the festivities this week. 

The Queen is still keen to go to her beloved 20,000-acre estate at Sandringham, where she normally stays until early February – particularly as she spent last year at Windsor with only her late husband and a handful of staff, due to lockdown. 

Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah, 62, continues to live with the Duke of York at their home of the Royal Lodge in Windsor and while he shares a close bond with his mother – Fergie has been excluded from the royal celebrations for many years since their divorce.

While Philip regarded their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with affection, he is thought to have regarded the Duchess of York as ‘simply beyond the pale’.

According to Gyles Brandreth, the late Duke decided ‘enough was enough’ when photos appeared in a daily newspaper of Sarah topless and having her toes sucked by a lover in the South of France. 

While Philip regarded their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with affection, he is thought to have regarded the Duchess of York as ‘simply beyond the pale’ 

Katie went on to speak about Her Majesty’s relationship with son Andrew, who is facing questions over his controversial friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. 

He is being sued in New York by Virginia Giuffre, now 38, who claims he sexually abused her on three separate occasions when she was 17 — in London , New York and on Epstein’s Caribbean island. 

Andrew, who is not facing any criminal charges, ‘categorically’ denies Ms Giuffre’s allegations against him.   

‘My understanding is she has had quite full and frank conversations with Andrew’, she said. ‘He has assured her he is innocent and she has put her faith in him. 

‘I think the position she finds herself in is two fold really, there’s a dichotomy. She’s monarch and has had to make a decisions as a monarch. 

‘Difficult decisions in stripping her son of his duties and patronages and basically removing him from royal life and putting him into early retirement, given their closeness that must of been hard. 

‘But of course the other role she fulfils is the role of mother and we are seeing her standing by Andrew.’