Mike Tindall says Royal Christmas will be 'very different' without late Queen
Mike Tindall admitted he's "looking forward" to Christmas, despite it being the first without the late Queen.
Mike Tindall says this Christmas will be "very different" without Queen Elizabeth.
The former rugby player - who is married to the late monarch's granddaughter Zara - has admitted there will be "a lot of change" over the festive period as the royal family celebrates Christmas for the first time since the beloved queen's death in September.
Speaking on a festive episode of his podcast 'The Good, The Bad and the Rugby', he told his fellow host Alex Payne: "Yeah, it probably will be.
"So I don't really know, I'm quite looking forward to it."
He added: "Obviously, there's a lot of change, there's a lot of firsts. Yeah, go and watch [the King's speech]."
King Charles is reportedly planning to break one of his mother's longest festive traditions by travelling to Scotland after Christmas.
The monarch, who died aged 96 at her Balmoral estate, usually stayed at Sandringham after the December 25 celebrations until after Accession Day on February 6.
It was part of her preference to spend the anniversary of the 1952 death of her father George VI at the age of 56 in contemplation.
But this week, sources said Charles will stick to his “normal routine” of going to his Scottish home of Birkhall shortly after Boxing Day to celebrate Hogmanay and “tends to remain there for several weeks into the New Year”.
The outlet added: “Like the Queen, he will continue to work on his ‘red boxes’, which contain official paperwork, and deal with affairs of state every day except Christmas Day.”
The Sandringham Christmas celebration will be one of the fullest in years, with an almost “full house” of royals set to attend in memory of the late queen.
Speculation has been rife that the Duke and Sussex will not be in attendance after the release of their six-part ‘Harry and Meghan’ Netflix show, which made a string of claims against the royals, including that the institution suffered “unconscious” racial “bias”.
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla are set to host the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and four-year-old Prince Louis.
Camilla’s children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes are also understood to be coming with their five children, along with Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as well as Mike and Zara Tindall.
The disgraced Duke of York is expected to be joined at the celebration by his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York.
