Queen Elizabeth's First Christmas Without Husband Prince Philip Was 'A Bit Of A Struggle' & 'Not Being Able To Spend It With Her Whole Family Didn't Help,' Insider Reveals
The holiday season was supposed to be an exciting time for Queen Elizabeth, who was going to host her family at her Sandringham estate. However, due to the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, the monarch had to cancel her plans, which was tough to do since this was the first Christmas without her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April.
“Christmas was a bit of a struggle for the queen without Prince Philip by her side,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly. “And not being able to spend it with her whole family [didn’t help].”
However, the 95-year-old is "not one to wallow in self-pity and kept her chin up,” the insider admitted.
In fact, Prince William got the gang together via Zoom since he was at his countryside home in Norfolk, England, with his kids and wife Kate Middleton, while Princess Anne was isolating after her husband contracted COVID-19.
The virtual get-together "brightened up her day," the source shared. “Obviously, the Cambridges were disappointed not to be spending the day with the Queen, but thanks to modern technology, they video called her first thing in the morning to wish her a Merry Christmas. And the kids excitedly told their great-grandmother about their gifts.”
In her annual Christmas speech, the mother-of-four got candid about spending the day without her husband of 73 years.
“Although it’s a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year, especially, I understand why," she began.
“But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world," she continued. “His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him. We felt his presence as we, like millions around the world, readied ourselves for Christmas. While COVID again means we can’t celebrate quite as we may have wished, we can still enjoy the many happy traditions. Be it the singing of carols – as long as the tune is well known – decorating the tree, giving and receiving presents, or watching a favorite film where we already know the ending, it’s no surprise that families so often treasure their Christmas routines."
