The Queen is reportedly ‘furious’ after her staff refused to stay with her in a ‘Covid bubble’ over Christmas.
Around 20 Royal Household employees had been asked to remain on the monarch’s estate in Sandringham to support her, Prince Philip and other members of the Royal Family during the festive period.
But the group are reportedly fighting against it because they are unwilling to self-isolate from their families for four weeks and not be able to see them.
This means the Queen, 94, could be forced to spend Christmas at Windsor Castle for the first time in 33 years.
‘The Queen is furious,’ a royal source told The Sun.
‘The staff said enough is enough. It is absolutely unprecedented.
‘Everybody wants to stay loyal but they feel they’ve been pushed too far by being made to isolate from their families for Christmas.’
The rebellion is said to involve cleaners, laundry and maintenance workers.
A source said: ‘Discussions are taking place with the team on operational matters but it is too early to speculate on implications for Christmas.’
The Queen usually spends her winter break at the Sandringham estate, travelling up to Norfolk after the Christmas party for extended family members at Buckingham Palace in December.
Until recently she had been at Balmoral in Scotland with Prince Philip, 99, but travelled down to Sandringham on September 14.
A royal spokesperson said the Queen intends to return to Windsor Castle in October and carry out a reduced schedule of audiences and engagements at Buckingham Palace in the run up to Christmas.
But the monarch could be forced to make a tough decision about who to invite over for Christmas Day if the current ‘rule of six’ remains in place into December.