Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have spent the past three Christmases in California, are unlikely to return to the UK for the festive season in the future.
The couple will be notably absent from the Royal Family’s annual Christmas celebrations in Sandringham, where tradition includes exchanging presents on Christmas Eve, attending church on Christmas Day morning, followed by a traditional lunch and a group viewing of King Charles’ festive broadcast.
Despite an increased guest list this year, including Queen Camilla’s children for the first time, Harry and Meghan won’t be joining.
It’s expected that they’ll spend Christmas in California with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as they have done for the past three years.
In fact, it’s been five years since they last spent Christmas in the UK.
Back in 2018, despite rumors of tension between them and the Prince and Princess of Wales, they were seen happily walking to church together in Norfolk.
A year later, things changed drastically.
Despite still being working royals, Harry and Meghan, along with their son Archie, chose to spend Christmas in Canada after their relationship with the Royal Family reached a critical point.
Just weeks later, they shocked everyone by announcing they were stepping down from their royal roles and moving to North America, and that’s where they’ve spent every festive season since.
Recently, there were hints that relations between Harry and Meghan and Charles were improving.
Harry contacted his father on his 75th birthday last month, calling him from his California home and even showing him a video of Archie and Lilibet singing Happy Birthday.
Sources close to the Sussexes say this was a turning point.
A friend of Harry’s told the Sunday Times that the couple would love to spend Christmas in the UK as Charles has never been with their children Archie and Lilibet during the festive season.
However, there have been no invitations for the holidays as of yet.
The situation may have taken a step back following the release of the controversial book Endgame by Omid Scobie, who co-authored Finding Freedom, a biography of the Sussexes.
The book makes several claims about the Sussexes, including that Prince William and other family members secretly allowed leaks about Harry to reporters.
It’s also claimed that William ignored texts from Harry when they were on their way to Balmoral before the Queen passed away last year.
The book also suggests that Charles and Meghan exchanged letters after a race row following an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
These claims have led many to believe that a joint Christmas for the Royals and Sussexes is unlikely.
One royal who might be pleased that Harry and Meghan won’t be at Sandringham this Christmas is William.
Since leaving the UK, the Sussexes have made a number of shocking claims about the Prince of Wales, including that he screamed and shouted at Harry during the infamous Sandringham summit.
Harry also described an incident in his memoir Spare, where he claimed his brother attacked him after a heated argument at Kensington Palace.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jenny Bond believes that William still loves Harry deep down but can’t see a way out of the rift between them.
She doubts that William thinks about them for more than a fleeting moment.
Despite the reported rift, Meghan and Harry are said to be planning ways to mend fences.
A source revealed that their new strategy is reconciliation, using Charles’ desire to see his grandchildren as a bridge.
Both families continue one sweet Christmas tradition by sending gifts for each other’s children.
William and Kate sent presents for Archie and Lilibet, while Harry and Meghan did the same for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
This tradition shows that, despite the lack of goodwill between the couples, they still prioritize the joy of their children during the holiday season.
In conclusion, Harry and Meghan’s absence from the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations in Sandringham this year indicates their continued preference for spending the festive season in California.
While there were hopes of reconciliation between them and Charles, the release of a controversial book may have hindered any progress.
The rift between Harry and William remains, with shocking claims made by the Sussexes about the Prince of Wales.
Despite these challenges, Harry and Meghan are determined to mend fences and are using their children as a means to bridge the gap.
The exchange of Christmas gifts for the children demonstrates that, despite the strained relationships, they still find joy in maintaining certain traditions.