The Queen is believed to have every intention to celebrate Christmas at Sandringham with her extended family, as she has done since 1988. And the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's family are elated at the idea of joining her in Norfolk, a source has claimed.

       The source told Us Weekly: "The Cambridges are spending Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham.

       "It’s going to be a big family affair.

       "George, Charlotte and Louis are absolutely delighted to be seeing their great grandmother in person again."

       Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, have not met the Queen in public since before the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

       It is not known whether Kate and Prince William were able to organise a visit to the Queen with their children over the past months.

       The Duke of Cambridge himself was last seen in public with the Queen on October 19, during the last major engagement carried out by Her Majesty before her doctors advised her to rest and stick to light duties for the time being.

       Since October 20, the monarch has cancelled all her in-person royal duties outside palace walls - but continues to carry out her day-to-day duties as sovereign and completes face-to-face and remote audiences with dignitaries and honorees.

       In early November, the Queen travelled to Sandringham for a private visit which lasted for a long weekend, during which she was often spotted being driven around the estate.

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       Reports at the time claimed during her stay the monarch made arrangements at her Norfolk residence ahead of her traditional Christmas gathering.

       And last month, a source claimed the monarch had let her loved ones know she is feeling "far better" and is ready to host them for the winter festivities.

       A source told the Mirror: "The Queen has told everyone she is feeling far better of late and is very much looking forward to welcoming them for Christmas.

       "Like many other families, this will be the first time Her Majesty can gather with her extended family after being kept apart for so long due to the coronavirus pandemic."

       The winter gathering at Sandringham House normally starts on Christmas Eve, when the royals sit down together for an afternoon tea and open their presents.

       On December 25, the younger royals walk to the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church while Her Majesty is driven there, accompanied by one or two royal relatives.

       The members of the Firm are welcomed at the chapel by well-wishers hoping to catch a glimpse of the royals and exchange a few words with them.

       The source said the monarch is "determined" to attend church in person.

       Prince George and Princess Charlotte debuted at the Christmas Day service in Norfolk in 2019, walking to the chapel alongside their parents and other relatives while Prince Louis, given his young age, stayed behind.

       The Cambridges have already entered the festive spirit and on Friday they released a new family portrait as their Christmas card for 2021.

       The snap was taken in Jordan, where Kate, William and their children holidayed during the school's half-term break.

       The picture, released by Kensington Palace on the Cambridges' official Twitter account, was accompanied by a brief message, reading: "Delighted to share a new image of the family, which features on this year’s Christmas card."

       Kate and William's household wasn't the only one to release this year's Christmas card last week.

       Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also shared their card, which is a candid photo of the couple taken by Samir Hussein at Royal Ascot this summer.

       With this photo, the pair appear to pay tribute to how unusual 2021 has been, as it shows Charles helping Camilla with her face mask.