The Queen canceled her pre-Christmas lunch at Windsor Castle as the Omicron variant surges in the UK

• The Queen's pre-Christmas Windsor Castle lunch for her family was called off Thursday.
• It comes as Omicron coronavirus cases surge in the UK, driving record infections.

Queen Elizabeth II canceled her traditional pre-Christmas lunch with family members due to the spread of the Omicron variant across the UK, the BBC reported Thursday.

The Queen was due to have the lunch in Windsor Castle early next week, and then celebrate Christmas Day with a smaller number of family members at another residence, Sandringham, the publication added.

But the event was called off a few days ahead of time. A source told the BBC that the decision was made to avoid spreading the virus there, leading to people having to isolate over Christmas.

A Buckingham Palace source also told Reuters: "While there is regret that it is canceled, there is a belief it is the right thing to do for all."

The Queen is 95, and older people are more at risk from the virus. The event also didn't take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus.

The virus started surging in the UK after the first Omicron variant cases were detected there, prompting official warnings to limit socializing.

The UK recorded 78,610 overall coronavirus infections on Wednesday, an all-time high.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday of an oncoming "tidal wave" of Omicron cases.

Buckingham Palace has yet to comment on whether plans to gather the royals at the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk will go ahead.

Tradition dictates that family members, excluding fiancés, join the monarch at the property for a black-tie Christmas Eve dinner and a gift exchange, followed the next day by a service held at the nearby St Mary Magdalene church.

However, this year will mark the first time the Queen spends the festive period without her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April. The couple spent Christmas 2020 isolating together at Windsor Castle — the first time since she spent Christmas away from Sandringham since 1988.

Representatives for Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.