Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will NOT spend Christmas with the Queen

Prince William and Kate Middleton will not be joining the Queen for Christmas this year, it has been revealed. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will instead be spending the festive season in Norfolk, where they will be joined by some members of the Middleton family. 

They will also be joined by their three children, George, eight, Charlotte, six, and Louis, three.     

It comes as the Queen is facing her first Christmas without her husband Prince Philip in 77 years, following his death in April this year. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also remaining stateside for the holidays, meaning the Queen will not yet meet her granddaughter Lilibet. 

However she will be joined on Christmas Day by Prince Charles and Camilla at Windsor Castle, in a boost for the monarch after Princess Anne had to drop out.

They are likely to be joined by Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, plus their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex are also expected to be there, with their children, James, Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise – but Anne will not be attending.

Clarence House confirmed this morning that the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall would join the 95-year-old monarch at Windsor this Saturday.

The plans of Charles and Camilla had been unclear until this morning – and they spent last Christmas at Highgrove, their country estate in Gloucestershire. 

But a Clarence House spokesman confirmed today: ‘The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will be with Her Majesty The Queen on Christmas Day.’ 

It comes after the Queen received a festive blow yesterday after her son-in-law Sir Timothy Laurence contracted Covid, meaning neither he nor Anne could join her. 

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall stand next to the stunning Christmas tree at Clarence House for a photograph posted on their official Instagram account last Friday

The Queen with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwll in Braemar in September 2019

Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence, pictured at Harry and Meghan’s wedding at Windsor in 2018. Both will not be with the Queen on Christmas Day after Sir Timothy contracted Covid

The Queen had already decided to cancel her pre-Christmas dinner at Windsor for her extended family this week as a result of rising coronavirus cases.

And on Monday it was revealed that she had also decided to scrap plans to travel to her beloved Sandringham country estate in Norfolk for Christmas.

Sources indicated that the Queen felt it was ‘too difficult’ for her family and staff to move between residences safely bearing in mind pleas from the Government for the public to be cautious. 

One said: ‘Her Majesty always leads by example.’

Instead she plans to spend her Christmas quietly at Windsor, her first without husband Philip.

Several family members are expected to be with the Queen, Charles and Camilla – including Prince Andrew and his family and the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children.

But she had also hoped her daughter Anne, who she has a close relationship with, would be able to join her.

Instead Anne will be isolating with her husband at Gatcombe Park, their Gloucestershire estate.

A senior royal source confirmed last night: ‘Admiral Sir Tim has tested positive for Covid and is following all the appropriate rules. Christmas Day at Windsor will not be possible.’

Sir Tim is understood to have tested positive early this week, meaning that under the new seven-day rule he and the princess could travel to see the Queen after the weekend.

2019 — The Queen leaves St Mary Magdalene’s Church after a service on December 25, 2019

2018 — The Queen arrives at St Mary Magdalene’s Church in Norfolk on Christmas Day in 2018

2017 — The Queen leaves St Mary Magdalene’s Church after the Christmas Day service in 2017

She usually hosts around 20 to 30 family members at her Norfolk home, with crowds of wellwishers turning out to watch the royals walk to the Christmas Day service at the church on the estate.

It is not yet known where the the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend Christmas. William and Kate had intended to spend the festive season at Anmer Hall, their home on the Sandringham estate.

But they could change their plans to spend more time with the elderly monarch in Berkshire, because Kate’s parents live nearby.

Sources told the Mail that the Queen, who normally stays in Norfolk until early February, could yet travel there in January.