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The festive period is well and truly over, and while the majority of families across the UK have already taken down their Christmas decorations, there is reportedly one person who won’t be following suit: the Queen.
The royal and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, have been spending Christmas at the Sandringham Estate since 1988, where they remain (with decorations in place) until 6 February – one month after Twelfth Night, when decorations typically come down.
While this tradition might seem unusual, there is a reason that the monarch allegedly asks for her decorations to be kept up until the day she returns to Buckingham Palace.
The date has a special significance to the Queen as it marks the day that her father, King George VI, passed away at Sandringham in 1952, when she was just 25-years-old.
To honour and commemorate his life in private, it has been widely reported that the Queen chooses to stay on the estate and keep the trees and decorations up to mark the anniversary.
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The then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten pose for a photograph on the day their engagement is announced alongside Princess Margaret (9 July 1947)
AFP via Getty Images
2/32
The future Queen Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh are photographed together on their wedding day at Buckingham Palace (20 November 1947)
AFP via Getty Images
3/32
The newlywed couple enjoy their honeymoon in Broadlands estate, Hampshire (25 November 1947)
AFP via Getty Images
4/32
The couple dance the samba during a ball organised by the Royal Navy (18 December 195)
AFP via Getty Images
5/32
The future monarch and Prince Philip pose with their firstborn child, a baby Prince Charles (undated photograph)
AFP via Getty Images
6/32
The couple are photographed with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne (circa 1951)
AFP via Getty Images
7/32
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to the crowd on the day of the monarch's coronation (2 June 1953)
AFP via Getty Images
8/32
The royal couple ride on horses, the Queen on her horse 'Winston', during the Trooping the Colour ceremony to mark the monarch's official birthday (12 June 1953)
Photo by STRINGER/INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images
9/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attend ceremonies to mark the opening of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada (14 October 1957)
ARNOLD SACHS/AFP via Getty Images
10/32
The couple smile as they watch a cricket match together at Highclere Castle, Hampshire (3 August 1958)
Photo by Victor Blackman/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
11/32
The Queen and Prince Philip depart Manchester by train (24 May 1961)
Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
12/32
The royal couple laugh as they watch Susu dancers during their visit to the Northern Province of Sierra Leone (4 December 1961)
STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images
13/32
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are photographed at Ascot (June 1967)
Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images
14/32
The couple walk alongside their eldest child, Prince Charles, during his Prince of Wales investiture ceremony at Caenarvon Castle, Wales (2 July 1969)
Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty Images
15/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit the Great Wall of China (October 1986)
Photo credit should read -/AFP via Getty Images
16/32
The couple pose for an official portrait taken at Buckingham Palace (June 1987)
AFP via Getty Images
17/32
The royals speak with schoolchildren in Hamilton, Bermuda during a 21-day visit to Latin America, the Caribbean and Bermuda (9 March 1994)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images
18/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey following the funeral ceremony of the Queen Mother (9 April 2002)
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images
19/32
The Queen waves as she and Prince Philip leave Manchester stadium following the closing of the XVII Commonwealth Games (4 August 2002)
Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images
20/32
The royal couple wave goodbye as they board their plane at Abuja airport, Nigeria (6 December 2003)
AFP via Getty Images
21/32
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the flypast on National Commemoration Day (10 July 2005)
Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
22/32
The couple wear protective eyewear as they take part in a tour as part of the opening of University College Hospital (20 October 2005)
Photo by Pool/Michael Dunlea/Getty Images
23/32
The Queen and Prince Philip are photographed at Broadlands, Hampshire shortly before celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary (18 November 2007)
FIONA HANSON/AFP via Getty Images
24/32
The royal couple laugh as they watch the games during the Annual Braemar Highland Gathering in Braemar, Scotland (6 September 2008)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
25/32
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh don 3D glasses during a visit to the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (18 November 2010)
Photo by John Giles - WPA Pool/Getty Images
26/32
The royal couple wave as they arrive on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot (16 June 2011)
Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
27/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh smile as they say goodbye to Irish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina at Windsor Castle (11 April 2014)
Photo by Leon Neal-WPA Pool/Getty Images
28/32
Prince Philip holds the monarch's hand as they leave the Service of Commemoration for troops who were stationed in Afghanistan (13 March 2015)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
29/32
The couple sit next to one another in the House of Lords during the Queen's Speech at the Palace of Westminster (27 May 2015)
Photo by Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty Images
30/32
Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowds on the day of her 90th birthday (21 April 2016)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
31/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh sit together in a carriage during the Trooping the Colour ceremony on The Mall (11 June 2016)
Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images
32/32
The royal couple feed Donna the elephant during a visit to the Elephant Centre at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (11 April 2017)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
1/32
The then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten pose for a photograph on the day their engagement is announced alongside Princess Margaret (9 July 1947)
AFP via Getty Images
2/32
The future Queen Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh are photographed together on their wedding day at Buckingham Palace (20 November 1947)
AFP via Getty Images
3/32
The newlywed couple enjoy their honeymoon in Broadlands estate, Hampshire (25 November 1947)
AFP via Getty Images
4/32
The couple dance the samba during a ball organised by the Royal Navy (18 December 195)
AFP via Getty Images
5/32
The future monarch and Prince Philip pose with their firstborn child, a baby Prince Charles (undated photograph)
AFP via Getty Images
6/32
The couple are photographed with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne (circa 1951)
AFP via Getty Images
7/32
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to the crowd on the day of the monarch's coronation (2 June 1953)
AFP via Getty Images
8/32
The royal couple ride on horses, the Queen on her horse 'Winston', during the Trooping the Colour ceremony to mark the monarch's official birthday (12 June 1953)
Photo by STRINGER/INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Images
9/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attend ceremonies to mark the opening of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada (14 October 1957)
ARNOLD SACHS/AFP via Getty Images
10/32
The couple smile as they watch a cricket match together at Highclere Castle, Hampshire (3 August 1958)
Photo by Victor Blackman/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
11/32
The Queen and Prince Philip depart Manchester by train (24 May 1961)
Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
12/32
The royal couple laugh as they watch Susu dancers during their visit to the Northern Province of Sierra Leone (4 December 1961)
STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images
13/32
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are photographed at Ascot (June 1967)
Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images
14/32
The couple walk alongside their eldest child, Prince Charles, during his Prince of Wales investiture ceremony at Caenarvon Castle, Wales (2 July 1969)
Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty Images
15/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit the Great Wall of China (October 1986)
Photo credit should read -/AFP via Getty Images
16/32
The couple pose for an official portrait taken at Buckingham Palace (June 1987)
AFP via Getty Images
17/32
The royals speak with schoolchildren in Hamilton, Bermuda during a 21-day visit to Latin America, the Caribbean and Bermuda (9 March 1994)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images
18/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Westminster Abbey following the funeral ceremony of the Queen Mother (9 April 2002)
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images
19/32
The Queen waves as she and Prince Philip leave Manchester stadium following the closing of the XVII Commonwealth Games (4 August 2002)
Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images
20/32
The royal couple wave goodbye as they board their plane at Abuja airport, Nigeria (6 December 2003)
AFP via Getty Images
21/32
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the flypast on National Commemoration Day (10 July 2005)
Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
22/32
The couple wear protective eyewear as they take part in a tour as part of the opening of University College Hospital (20 October 2005)
Photo by Pool/Michael Dunlea/Getty Images
23/32
The Queen and Prince Philip are photographed at Broadlands, Hampshire shortly before celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary (18 November 2007)
FIONA HANSON/AFP via Getty Images
24/32
The royal couple laugh as they watch the games during the Annual Braemar Highland Gathering in Braemar, Scotland (6 September 2008)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
25/32
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh don 3D glasses during a visit to the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (18 November 2010)
Photo by John Giles - WPA Pool/Getty Images
26/32
The royal couple wave as they arrive on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot (16 June 2011)
Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
27/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh smile as they say goodbye to Irish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina at Windsor Castle (11 April 2014)
Photo by Leon Neal-WPA Pool/Getty Images
28/32
Prince Philip holds the monarch's hand as they leave the Service of Commemoration for troops who were stationed in Afghanistan (13 March 2015)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
29/32
The couple sit next to one another in the House of Lords during the Queen's Speech at the Palace of Westminster (27 May 2015)
Photo by Alastair Grant/WPA Pool/Getty Images
30/32
Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowds on the day of her 90th birthday (21 April 2016)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
31/32
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh sit together in a carriage during the Trooping the Colour ceremony on The Mall (11 June 2016)
Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images
32/32
The royal couple feed Donna the elephant during a visit to the Elephant Centre at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (11 April 2017)
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The Queen and her father shared a special relationship. In a letter to her secretary in 1952 following his death, the Queen said: “It all seems so unbelievable still that my father is no longer here and it is only after some time has passed one begins to realise how much he is missed.”
The royal made a touching reference to King George VI in her annual Christmas broadcast, The Queen's Speech, as she referenced the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which was marked in 2019.
“This year we marked another important anniversary: D-Day. On June 6, 1944, some 156,000 British, Canadian and American forces landed in northern France,” she explained.
“It was the largest ever seabourne invasion and was delayed due to bad weather.
“I well remember the look of concern on my father’s face. He knew the secret D-Day plans but could of course share that burden with no one.”
The Sandringham Estate has been owned by the royal family since 1862, when it was purchased for one of Queen Victoria's sons, Albert Edward, who later became King Edward VII.