Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas this year because they have reportedly not been invited to the festivities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly not received an invitation to the royal Christmas at Sandringham.
They are expected to spend the Christmas holidays in the United States with their children Archie and Lilibet.
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, have not spent Christmas with the Royal Family in the United Kingdom for six years.
They were also not invited to Trooping the Color in June this year for the King’s birthday.
Prince William, Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will spend Christmas at Sandringham.
Meghan Markle previously revealed how the Sussexes have been celebrating the holidays at their California home since she and Prince Harry left the royal family in 2020.
Meghan stressed the importance of making “room at the table for your friends who don’t have family,” like feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who once joined the Sussexes’ Thanksgiving party.
The former Suits actress, who married Harry in 2018, added that it’s important to the couple that Archie and Lilibet experience the “magic” of holiday traditions, like putting out “carrots for the reindeer” at Christmas.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas this year as the Sussexes have reportedly not been invited. They are photographed at Christmas 2017.
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, have not spent Christmas with the Royal Family in the United Kingdom for six years. They are photographed on Christmas Day 2018 at St. Mary Magdalene Church.
Wales at the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2023
According people magazineThe Sussexes will spend the holidays in the United States again this year.
In 2019, they spent Christmas in Canada and just two weeks later, they announced their decision to stop working as royals.
They have not 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 announcing they would be leaving the Firm and moving to the United States.
The Sussexes posted the first photo of their daughter Lilibet, who turned three this year, in a family Christmas card that was published on December 23, 2021.
The photo shows Lilibet’s older brother Archie sitting 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 reunite after what has been a difficult year following Charles, 76, and Kate’s back-to-back cancer diagnoses.
Sources told the newspaper that Charles, who is currently in Sandringham, is “delighted” that the whole family will be together for the holiday and the monarch will reportedly oversee the planning himself.
The Princess of Wales chats with supporters 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, The Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Prince William, Prince Philip, Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the Christmas Day church service at St Mary’s Church Magdalena on December 25, 2017.
A source said: “The King is already embracing the Christmas period and is really getting into the spirit.” Staff who saw him this week commented on how happy and healthy he looked.
Charles and Camilla will reportedly spend the weekend at the Norfolk estate, with a 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 receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate.
William previously described 2024 as the “most difficult year of my life”, when the future King spoke about the health challenges facing his father and his wife.
Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer after being admitted to the London Clinic in Marylebone for an abdominal operation in January.
While Charles is still undergoing treatment, the future Queen announced that she has completed preventive chemotherapy treatment and will gradually return to public life after the diagnosis.
Reports about the Royal Family’s Christmas plans come days after it was reported that Kate will undertake her biggest public engagement since beginning cancer treatment by welcoming the Emir of Qatar on his official state visit to the UK next month.
King Charles, Camilla and Prince George on Christmas Day 2022
Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham Church in 2022
Kate will join 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 an impressive welcome ceremony.
The King and Queen will be waiting to greet guests before escorting them back to Buckingham Palace.
The princess, who announced a slow and measured return to public life in September after finishing her preventive chemotherapy treatment, is expected to join the Royal Family at the palace for lunch.
But it has been confirmed that he will not attend the glittering state banquet in the evening.
However, a royal source described the announcement of his attendance at some elements of the visit as “good news”.
The princess has attended a number of high-profile events such as Trooping the Colour, Remembrance events and Wimbledon over the past eleven months since she effectively retired from public life to focus on her health.