Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas this year as they have reportedly not been invited to the festivities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t received an invitation to the royals’ Christmas at Sandringham, it has been reported.
They are expected to spend the festive holidays in America instead with their children Archie and Lilibet.
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, haven’t spent Christmas with the Royal Family in the UK for six years.
They were also not invited to Trooping the Colour in June of this year for the King’s birthday/
Prince William, Kate, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are set to spend Christmas at Sandringham.
Meghan Markle previously revealed how the Sussexes celebrate the holidays at their home in California since she and Prince Harry stepped down from the royal family in 2020.
Meghan stressed the importance of making ‘room at your table for your friends who don’t have family’ such as feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who once joined the Sussexes’ Thanksgiving party.
The former Suits actress, who married Harry in 2018, added it is important to the couple that Archie and Lilibet experience the ‘magic’ of festive traditions such as putting out ‘carrots for the reindeer’ at Christmas.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas this year as the Sussexes have reportedly not been invited. They are pictured on Christmas in 2017
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, haven’t spent Christmas with the Royal Family in the UK for six years. They are pictured on Christmas Day in 2018 at the Church of St Mary Magdalene
The Wales’s at the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2023
According to People magazine, the Sussexes will spend the holidays in America again this year.
In 2019, they spent Christmas in Canada and just two weeks later, they announced their decision to step back as working royals.
They haven’t returned to Sandringham for the holidays since.
Meghan and Harry joined the Royal Family for the annual Christmas Day service at Sandringham for two years – 2018 and 2019 – before they announced they were quitting the Firm and moving stateside.
The Sussexes released the first picture of their daughter Lilibet, who turned three this year, in a family Christmas card that was released on December 23, 2021.
The photo features Lilibet’s older brother Archie seated on the Duke’s lap, with Meghan holding the smiling toddler.
On Friday, The Mirror reported that William and Kate, both 42, will join senior members of The Firm for the annual Christmas Day Service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on December 25.
It will be a special Christmas for the family as they come together after what has been a difficult year following Charles, 76, and Kate’s back-to-back cancer diagnoses.
Sources told the newspaper Charles, who is currently in Sandringham, is ‘delighted’ that the whole family will be together for the holidays – with the monarch reportedly overseeing the planning himself.
The Princess of Wales chats with well-wishers after attending the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day service last year
Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte at the Christmas Day church service, Sandringham, 2022
Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Prince William, Prince Philip, Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017
One insider said: ‘The King is embracing the Christmas period already and really getting into the spirit. Staff who have seen him this week remarked how happy and healthy he was looking.’
Charles and Camilla are reportedly spending the weekend at the Norfolk estate, with one source explaining how Charles is ‘enjoying time outdoors’ as he continues his cancer treatment.
Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year while undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
William previously described 2024 as the ‘hardest year of my life’ as the future King opened up about the health challenges faced by his father and wife.
Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer after she was admitted to the London Clinic in Marylebone for an abdominal operation in January.
While Charles is still undergoing treatment, the future Queen announced she has completed a preventative course of chemotherapy – and will make a gradual return to public life following the diagnosis.
Reports about the Royal Family’s Christmas plans come days after it was reported that Kate will undertake her most significant public engagement since she began cancer treatment as she welcomes the Emir of Qatar for his official state visit to the UK next month.
King Charles, Camilla, and Prince George on Christmas Day in 2022
Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham Church in 2022
Kate will accompany her husband Prince William to officially greet the Emir and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher, at their residence on December 3 and accompany them to Horse Guards Parade for a stunning ceremonial welcome.
The King and Queen will be waiting to greet the guests before accompanying them back to Buckingham Palace.
It is expected that the princess, who announced in September a slow and measured return to public life after the completion of her preventative chemotherapy treatment, will join the Royal Family at the palace for lunch.
But it has been confirmed that she will not attend a glittering State Banquet in the evening.
A royal source described the announcement of her attendance at some elements of the visit, however, as ‘good news’.
The princess has attended a number of high profile events such as Trooping the Colour, Remembrance events and Wimbledon over the last eleven months since she effectively withdrew from public life to focus on her health.