There’s a royal scandal still brewing, but the Queen is still getting into a holiday mood. Last Friday that meant going horseback riding alongside her beleaguered second son, Prince Andrew. On Tuesday, the avid stamp collector made a cozy visit to the Royal Philatelic Society, where she met with volunteers and peered at a few exhibitions. But her upcoming holiday plans have likely been disrupted by the fact that a general election is afoot, and will probably delay the beginning of her holiday in Sandringham.

The election is set for December 12, which will lead to a December 19 Opening of Parliament and Queen’s Speech, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson. The spokesperson said that the opening would feature “reduced ceremonial elements,” so the Queen would likely not wear her formal robes. They added that a change of government might delay that time table. If Johnson fails to secure a majority, she will also have to meet with whoever replaces him. Buckingham Palace confirmed to the Daily Express that a December 19 opening might affect the Queen’s plans for the season.

Usually the Queen departs for Sandringham about a week before Christmas to oversee preparations for the festivities. She remains throughout the holiday season until after the February 6 anniversary of her father’s death in 1952 and her accession to the throne. Last year she arrived at the Norfolk estate on December 20. Sandringham is a working estate during the year, with a farm and an apple juice pressing plant. During the holiday season, the Queen often hosts shooting parties (one of which was attended by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell in the year 2000). She also films her annual Christmas address at various places in the country house.

Many members of the royal family join for festivities at Christmastime, and the annual family procession to church on Christmas Day is a much-photographed event. This year Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that they would not spend the holiday with the Queen as they have for the last two years. After an ongoing six-week break from royal duties, the pair plan to spend Christmas with their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.

The snap election comes at the end of a year that have seen royalty and politics coming into contact more than usual. In June, Buckingham Palace hosted the entire Trump family for a slightly frosty state visit. In July, the Queen delayed her departure to Balmoral to meet with Johnson after he became prime minister. Though the Queen is politically neutral and her position is often said to be merely ceremonial, she was forced to prorogue parliament in August at the request of Johnson, after a Balmoral meeting with one of his deputies, Jacob Rees-Mogg. (The prorogation was later canceled by the country’s supreme court.) Seventy-two female Members of Parliament wrote an open letter in support of Meghan Markle after she and Prince Harry opened up about her struggles with the press in October.

The royals also became a topic of discussion at last Tuesday’s debate between Johnson and Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn. The debate moderators chose a question from a home viewer, Sue from Leeds (who had a bit of viral fame afterward), and posed it to the leaders: “Is the monarchy fit for purpose?” In their answers, both men discussed Prince Andrew, and Corbyn said, “It needs a bit of improvement.” Afterward, some reports claimed that it was this question that ultimately led the royal family to turn the screws on Andrew.

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