The Queen has decided to cancel a traditional pre-Christmas lunch with other members of the Royal Family amid fears over spiking COVID cases across the UK.

A Buckingham Palace source confirmed the decision to call off the royal gathering, which comes as the Omicron variant spreads across the country.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

It is understood the decision was a precaution with the source suggesting it could put too many people’s Christmas arrangements at risk if it went ahead.

Plans were reportedly fully in place at Windsor Castle for next Tuesday’s Christmas lunch, which the 95-year-old monarch hosts each year for her extended family.

Last year’s gathering was also scrapped because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Most years, the Queen invites her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to join her at Buckingham Palace before she departs for her annual Christmas stay at Sandringham.

The palace is undergoing major renovation works at present.

COVID-19: ‘Entirely possible’ Omicron hospital admissions could exceed record set in January – Whitty

COVID-19: Brentford manager Thomas Frank calls for Premier League fixtures to be postponed this weekend

COVID-19: Minister echoes Prof Whitty’s caution and urges people to make ‘sensible’ choices before Christmas

The pre-Christmas celebration gives the head of state a chance to catch up with relatives who are unable to travel to Norfolk for Christmas Day.

The wider family is also usually invited, including the Queen’s cousins the Gloucesters, the Duke of Kent and the Michaels of Kent.

This Christmas is the Queen’s first since the death of her husband of 73 years, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen and Philip spent Christmas Day together at Windsor in 2020, without the rest of the family.

It came after they spent most of the year being cared for by a reduced number of staff in what was dubbed HMS Bubble.

The Queen has only been carrying out light duties since 20 October when concerns for her health were heightened after royal doctors ordered her to rest and she spent a night in hospital undergoing tests.

Related posts:

Trooping the Colour, the Queen’s official birthday celebration, cancelled for second year running ‘Key moment in fight against domestic abuse and sexual assault’: NHS calls for survivors to seek help Police launch hunt for missing mum and two children last seen two days ago Teenager arrested over murder of student who died ‘cradled in his mother’s arms’ Ministry of Justice to challenge decision allowing release of child killer Colin Pitchfork Ministers to discuss extending COVID testing sites to more workers to tackle ‘pingdemic’ Tottenham Hotspur to host world’s first net-zero football match against Chelsea Boris Johnson spent weekend visiting Queen at Balmoral Oldest ever Test cricketer – who played for England either side of Second World War – dies aged 110 UK Omicron cases rise more than 50% in a day Manchester Arena staff get counter-terror training on their mobile phones, inquiry hears ‘Tinder rapist’ who sexually assaulted five women he met on dating app is jailed for life