Royal Family Is ‘Looking Forward to Starting Fresh’ as They Prepare for Their Annual Christmas Celebration

“The Cambridges are spending Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham. It’s going to be a big family affair,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, adding that “George, Charlotte and Louis are absolutely delighted to be seeing their great grandmother in person again.”

The annual holiday plans changed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, which meant that Queen Elizabeth II‘s usual festivities at Sandringham Estate and her holiday party at Buckingham Palace were both canceled.

“Having considered all the appropriate advice, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in December 2020. The couple originally started isolating at Windsor Castle in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Prince Philip died earlier this year at the age of 99.

The queen will be joined by Prince William and Duchess Kate, who share Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3. Their children have “spent hours picking out their own festive gifts for [the queen], and Charlotte and George made her paintings of The Christmas Story in art class at school.”

The insider also notes that this year’s celebration comes after many ups and downs.

“[William and Kate] are looking forward to starting fresh in the New Year. We’ll be seeing a transition of responsibility — they’re taking on additional charity work, attending more events and making appearances,” the source says. “There’s even a royal tour in the works, and of course they’re heavily involved in the Platinum Jubilee.”