Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Aren't Spending Christmas With the Queen This Year
After Meghan Markle and Prince Harry opened up about the hardships of public life in a recent documentary, sources speculated that the couple was considering taking an extended family break. Now, it looks like that quality time is coinciding with the holidays: On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that Markle and Prince Harry won’t spend Christmas with Queen Elizabeth II this year; instead, they’ll be hanging out with their baby and Markle’s mother Doria Ragland.
Royal reporters tweeted a statement issued by the spokesperson that read, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month. Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, [the couple] will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria.” While people may try to spin this into drama about the rumored riff between Prince Harry and Prince William, or the media scrutiny Meghan Markle discussed, the spokesperson made sure to emphasize that this is totally within protocol and it’s been approved by the queen herself. “This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen,” she added.
It’s also worth remembering that it’s normal for the royals to spend Christmas away from Buckingham Palace. Prince William and Kate Middleton spent the holidays with Middleton’s parents in Bucklebury in 2012 and 2016, and as the statement reminds everyone, Markle and Prince Harry were at Sandringham the last couple of years. The message doesn’t specify where exactly the Sussexes will be, so it’s unclear if Ragland will come to the U.K. But we’re crossing our fingers that maybe this extended family time means Markle, Harry, and Archie will come stateside.