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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jennifer Newton

Queen has a bizarre favourite game that she likes to play on New Year's Eve

The Queen is set to say goodbye to 2021 and ring in the new year of 2022 at Windsor Castle.

The monarch has already spent the rest of the festive season at Windsor after deciding against the traditional trip to Sandringham.

Instead, this year she has welcomed family visitors to the castle, including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, who spent Christmas Day with her.

It's unclear who will be by her side when the clock strikes midnight tonight.

However, it seems in the lead up to the big moment, the Queen traditionally like to play games - including one bizarre one called 'Lucky Dip'.

The Queen has a New Year's Eve tradition (REUTERS)

According to author Brian Hoey, who wrote the book At Home with The Queen, it involves a footman bringing Her Majesty a tub filled with sawdust with folded pieces of paper.

On the paper is random messages and predictions for the year ahead.

The Queen and her guests then select a piece of paper at random and read out their supposed fortune for the year ahead.

The Queen has spent Christmas at Windsor Castle (REUTERS)

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Brian writes: “Each member of the Royal Family takes a lucky dip and if their particular forecast is not very favourable the poor footman gets the blame.”

While a royal source previously told the Daily Star : “The predictions are written up by the household but approved by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

“Each member of the family picks out an envelope and reads out their ­prediction to the rest of the room.

“They’re meant to be funny but like all the family’s humour there’s an element of score settling and getting even to them."

Regardless of what her fortune says if the Queen plays Lucky Dip tonight, 2022 is set to be a huge year for the monarch.

In February, she will mark 70 years on the throne and in June a bumper four-day bank holiday weekend is planned for celebrations.

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