King Charles appears to have made his stance on Prince Harry’s position within the royal family clear by excluding him from this year’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham and inviting Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles to join the festivities.
Royal expert Richard Eden addressed the decision on Daily Mail Confidential Palacepointing out its deeper implications. “It’s very significant that Tom will be there, maybe his sister Laura too, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet,” Eden said.
“Tom said his mother often suggested he join them, but he always said no,” she continued. “To have the king’s stepson there, but not his son, is significant.” The invitation comes as Tom Parker Bowles himself spoke about his plans to attend Christmas with royalty.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the food writer shared that Queen Camilla had extended the invitation, marking the first time in years they would spend the holidays together. “My mom said, ‘I’d love for you to come, I haven’t celebrated Christmas with you in a long time,’” Tom revealed.
He humorously compared this year’s royal gathering to his usual Christmas routine. “For the last 15 years, it’s been like this: I go back to my ex-wife’s house, sit in my sweatpants, go to the pub while the meat is ready and then try to get my kids to watch The Wild Geese. Classic. “So this would be a little different,” he joked.
The stark contrast in the invitations highlights the current rift between Prince Harry and the royal family. Harry, who now lives in California with Meghan Markle and their two children, has remained at odds with his father and brother following their public criticism of the monarchy in interviews and in his memoir, Spare.
The decision to invite Tom Parker Bowles and exclude Harry is seen as a clear sign of where King Charles’ priorities lie this Christmas season. For Harry, the exclusion likely underlines the deepening rift within the family, while for Camilla, having her son at Sandringham marks a more personal and symbolic moment of unity.
As the royal family prepares for its traditional Christmas gathering, Harry and Meghan’s absence remains a telling reflection of the strained relations behind palace doors.