Here's how the Royal Family traditionally spend New Year's Eve

22 December 2021, 12:43

By Alice Dear

The Queen will be marking her first New Year period without Prince Philip, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit the Middleton home.

The Royal Family are big on traditions, and the New Year period is no different.

However, with the coronavirus pandemic still causing changes to our normal way of life, the Queen and her family will have to adapt her plans, just like we will.

So, how do the Royal Family spend New Year's Eve and how will it be different this year?

Aside from the changes caused by Covid-19, this year will also be different for Her Majesty the Queen as it is the first New Year since her beloved husband, Prince Philip, passed away.

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The Monarch and her late husband's Christmas and New Year has previously been very scheduled, with many traditions in place for the annual holiday.

They would usually move to Sandringham for the festive period, and stay there until the beginning of February, meaning the New Year period was also spent at the Norfolk estate.

According to The Express, the Queen and Prince Philip would throw a New Year's party each year for friends and family.

Of course, last year, these plans were cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions, meaning the Queen and Philip saw the New Year in with one another and no guests.

On New Year's Day, the Queen would always visit St Mary Magdalene Church for a service, another tradition she had to cancel last year.

This year, while there are no restrictions in place yet, the Queen has announced that she will be spending the festive period in Windsor instead of Sandringham.

It is believed she will still have family members over the Christmas, but potentially a smaller amount.

Of course, we do not know what the Queen will decide to do this year for New Year's Eve, but there is a chance she will bring back her traditional party and hold it at Windsor instead – as long as restrictions do not come in before then.

The Queen will most likely still attend church on New Year's Day, but perhaps at Windsor Castle's private chapel or St George's Chapel instead.

As for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, it is reported that the couple usually spend their New Years with Kate Middleton's family in West Berkshire.

And with Kate, William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis believed to be with the Queen on Christmas, it would be no surprise if the family decided to spend the second part of the festive period with the Middleton family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's plans for the New Year are very much unknown, however, the likelihood is that they will remain in California where they now live.

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