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The Royal Family’s Christmas traditions will be on hold this year, with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh set to have a quiet celebration at Windsor Castle due to the pandemic, marking the first time in 32 years that the couple will not be at Sandringham for the festive period. However, spending the holidays at Windsor has a special place in the Queen’s heart, especially since it was the backdrop to one of her and her sister Margaret’s favourite wartime activities as children - throwing a Christmas pantomime.
In 1941, amidst World War II, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, then aged just 15 and 11 years old respectively, were evacuated from Buckingham Palace and stayed at the Royal Lodge in Windsor until 1945. Their parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, stayed in London during the week and returned to them at weekends.