The Real Reason Harry & Meghan Won't Be at the Royal Christmas, Sources Say
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with reportedly not be spending Christmas with the Queen.
It sounds like it might be a California Christmas for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle this year. According to a report from Page Six, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be attending the royal family's Christmas celebrations in England. "Royal sources" told the publication that the couple have made their decision and also shared the supposed reason why they will not be joining the celebrations at Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham Estate.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as working members of the royal family in March 2020 and moved to the U.S. They now live in Santa Barbara, California. In the time since their move, they have started their nonprofit organization Archewell, made headlines for their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, and welcomed their second child, Lilibet. The interview with Winfrey, in particular, made it clear just how major the issues were between Meghan and Harry and his family.
Read on to find out more about the famous couple's reported holiday decision.
RELATED: Oprah Asked Meghan & Harry to Agree to This One Thing Before the Tell-All.
Sources claim the decision has already been made.
A source told Page Six that if Meghan and Harry were going to be with the royal family for Christmas, it would have been concretely planned by now. "There's a lot that goes into the logistics and the planning of the family Christmas, so of course, staff know that Harry and Meghan are not coming," an insider told Page Six. "If they were, they would have communicated it to their family by now." They added, "But this is Her Majesty's first Christmas without her husband, so one would have hoped they would want to be with her." The queen's husband, Prince Philip, died at age 99 in April.
Meghan and Harry last spent Christmas at Sandringham in 2018. In 2019, they spent Christmas together in Canada, and by Christmas 2020 they had already moved to the U.S.
They reportedly aren't returning because it would cause a frenzy.
One of Page Six's sources claimed that Meghan and Harry aren't going to celebrate Christmas with the royals because of the chaos it would cause. "I think everyone understands there will be a frenzy when they both come back to the U.K., but they need to rip the [Band-Aid] off and get on with it," the source said.
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There have been conflicting reports about the holiday.
A month ago, there were different reports about Harry and Meghan's Christmas plans. Us Weekly reported in October that Harry was hoping to visit his grandmother around the end of the year. A source told the magazine that Harry "feels guilty about not saying goodbye" to Prince Philip in person prior to his death. They continued, "[He] would never forgive himself if the same thing happened with his beloved grandmother" and claimed that he was "hoping to go back home for Christmas with Meghan, if not before so that she can finally get to meet [her great granddaughter] Lilibet and see [great grandson] Archie again."
The Queen's health has made headlines lately.
Queen Elizabeth has been in the news a lot recently, because health issues have caused her to cancel several public appearances. The monarch was hospitalized for an unknown reason and had to cancel a trip to Northern Ireland in October. Then, in November, she canceled an appearance at the United Nations Climate Change Conference after doctors told her to rest. On Sunday, Nov. 14, she also missed Remembrance Day service with Buckingham Palace explaining that she sprained her back, as reported by People.
Harry and Meghan will reportedly be in the U.K. for a major event next year.
Next year marks 70 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth, and she will be celebrated with her Platinum Jubilee. According to a source who spoke with Page Six, Harry and Meghan are expected to attend the celebrations in June 2022. But one source suggested they should return to the U.K. before this. "If that is the first time they are back in the country since Megxit, and they suck all the oxygen from the Queen, that will be just terrible," the source said.
Royal historian Edward Owens told Express in October, "I imagine if they come for the Platinum Jubilee, it will be a bit like what happened with Philip's funeral, it will be a brief visit and then off again." Harry returned for Philip's funeral earlier this year and made another visit to unveil a statue of his mother, Princess Diana, with his brother, Prince William. Meghan has not yet visited the U.K. since moving.
RELATED: Here's Everything We Know About Queen Elizabeth's Health Right Now.
