The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are among those who escaped the capital for their country retreat with Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Louis ahead of the toughest lockdown yet. The couple are understood to have made the 120-mile trip after George and Charlotte’s school holidays for Christmas began on December 11.
But, the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden tweeted: “I hear that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are among the Londoners with country homes who left the capital before the Tier 4 restrictions were announced. Lucky them.”
But royal fans have pointed out that under Boris Johnson’s strict tier system, people living in Tier 3 areas – which London was up until this morning – were advised against undertaking nonessential travel.
The capital’s nine million inhabitants were moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3 on December 16.
While it is not known exactly when Kate and William departed London, both Tier 2 and Tier 3 strictly advise against moving outside the area of residence, unless absolutely necessary.
The rules state that “where possible, you should stay local and avoid travelling outside of your local area” with exceptions only for “work, education, medical attention or caring responsibilities”.
Some royal fans have accused the Cambridges of brazenly flouting the measures designed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
One person tweeted: “’Avoid travelling outside your area, including for overnight stays, other than where necessary’.
“So they deliberately breached Tier 3 rules.”
But others were quick to point out that the couple were in London for work reasons, having carried out a number of royal engagements recently.
One person said: “Their home is in Norfolk. Kensington Palace is their workplace.”
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