Queen Elizabeth II Reportedly Cancels Pre-Christmas Lunch With Family

This is understood as a precautionary measure to avoid putting people's Christmas plans at risk amid a growing number of Omicron cases in the country.

Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled a family pre-Christmas lunch, ITV reported on Thursday.

According to Sky News, the decision was made as a precaution amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the UK.

Rebecca English, Royal Editor with the Daily Mail, tweeted that "the Queen is regretful, but feels it is the right thing to do."

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The Queen’s pre- Christmas family lunch will now NOT be going ahead.
The decision is a precautionary one as it is felt it could put too many people’s Christmas arrangements at risk if it went ahead.
The Queen is regretful, but feels it is the right thing to do.

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) December 16, 2021

Buckingham Palace has not yet commented on the cancelled arrangements.

Every year, the Queen traditionally invites her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to join her at a Christmas lunch before she departs for her Christmas stay at Sandringham. Last year's gathering was also cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.

On Wednesday, the UK recorded 78,610 confirmed new Covid cases which is the highest number since the pandemic started.