Why Queen Elizabeth Once Spent Another Christmas Without Prince Philip
This holiday season will be the first the Queen has spent without her husband in 65 years.
When the Royal family celebrates Christmas this year, they’ll undoubtedly be marking the absence of one very important person: Prince Philip, the family patriarch, who died in April at age 99.
There was another Christmas that the Queen spent apart from her husband in their 73 years of marriage, though — but for a much different reason.
In 1956, Prince Philip was traveling on a three-month voyage on the Royal Yacht Britannia, according to People. The sail began in October, and included a visit to Australia for the Prince to open the Olympics in Melbourne. Queen Elizabeth remained at home with the couple’s then-two young children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne. The Queen and Prince would later have Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
Though they were separated for the holiday, the royal couple was able to speak on Christmas. Prince Philip called the Queen at Sandringham by radio from the ship. She acknowledged the conversation in her annual Christmas broadcast that day.
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)
A photo posted by on
"Of all the voices we have heard this afternoon, none has given my children and myself greater joy than that of my husband," Queen Elizabeth said on the radio broadcast. "To him I say: 'From all the members of the family gathered here today our very best good wishes go out to you and to every one on board Britannia, as you voyage together in the far Southern seas. Happy Christmas from us all.'"
"Of course it is sad for us to be separated on this day, and of course we look forward to the moment when we shall all again be together,” she added. “Yet my husband's absence at this time has made me even more aware than I was before of my own good fortune in being one of a united family."
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)
A photo posted by on
The Queen’s holiday festivities will be different this year, not just because of her husband’s absence, but because the pandemic has once again cancelled her plans to celebrate. Earlier this week, the monarch announced she was canceling her plans to travel to Sandringham, in light of the Omicron variant and the sharp increase in COVID infections, and will remain at Windsor Castle for the second Christmas in a row. The royal estate where she normally hosts the family Christmas celebration, including the famous walk to church on Christmas morning, is on Britain’s east coast. Normally, the Queen spends the holidays there and stays until early February.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Queen Elizabeth also cancelled her annual pre-Christmas luncheon for the extended family, which was supposed to have taken place on Dec. 21 at Windsor.
“A royal source says it was a personal decision taken after ‘careful consideration’ and reflects an ongoing ‘precautionary approach,’” People reported. “The source added that she will be visited by various members of the family over the Christmas holiday.” Those relatives are expected to follow strict COVID safety protocols to protect the Queen.
Julie Tremaine is an award-winning food and travel writer who’s road tripping — and tasting — her way across the country. Her work appears in outlets like Vulture, Travel + Leisure, CNN Travel and Glamour, and she’s the Disneyland editor for SFGate. Read her work at Travel-Sip-Repeat.com.
-
I Tried Biologique Recherche's Two-Hour Scalp Detox Treatment
Is the French-girl favorite worth the hype?
By Hannah Baxter Published
-
Jennifer Lawrence's Maternity Style Era Is Off to a Must-Shop Start
She knows what she likes—and how to wear it.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
'The Lincoln Lawyer' Finale Teased A Game-Changing Cliffhanger—Will There Be a Season 4?
We're on the case of whether or not Mickey Haller and co. are coming back to Netflix.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
The Tragic Event That Once Made Queen Elizabeth Cry in Public
Oct. 21 marks 58 years since the disaster.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Queen Elizabeth Had Only One Sure-Fire Way to Get Her Corgis to "Shut Up"
It was totally on-brand.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
The Rare Moments When Queen Elizabeth Allowed Herself to Be “A Normal Woman in the Countryside”
A Land Rover expert tells 'Marie Claire' of a time when the late monarch "just looked completely at home."
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Queen Elizabeth's Rare Childhood Tantrum is Truly Epic
Every once in a while, Elizabeth let loose.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
'The Great British Bake Off' Star Prue Leith Once Messed Up Queen Elizabeth's Tea Order
"You'd think it was a state secret!"
By Kristin Contino Published
-
The Sentimental Item from Prince Philip That Queen Elizabeth Kept in Her Handbag
It's royally romantic.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Queen Elizabeth Said She Hated One Thing About Meeting "Tourists"
The late monarch expressed a desire to go back to the good old days of royal visits.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Why Queen Elizabeth Was Left "Sitting in the Dark" After a Staff Member's Blunder
Former royal footman Steven Kaye shared a hilarious palace "accident."
By Kristin Contino Published