The Christmas season is a joyous time usually spent—for better or worse—with family. But for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, this year’s festivities may not include their royal family.
According to People magazine, sources say that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not received an invitation to the royal Christmas gathering at Sandringham Palace, the country estate in Norfolk that the royal family has retreated to during the holidays since 1988.
The last time the couple spent the holidays with Prince Harry’s family in the UK was in 2018 before they opted to be with Markle’s mother in Canada the next year—two weeks before they announced they would be stepping back from royal duties and relocating to the U.S.
Luckily, the duo won’t be without relatives to celebrate the holidays with.
While they may not be welcome at Sandringham this year, the couple and their two children have reportedly been invited to spend Christmas with Princess Diana’s family in the UK. If the couple accepts the invitation, it will be the first time Markle has set foot on UK soil since The Queen’s passing in 2022.
According to the Express, Prince Harry and his family are more than welcome at his mother’s ancestral home.
“Charles [Spencer] has invited Harry, Meghan and the children to Althorp [in Northampton] this Christmas,” a source told the publication. “It’s far too early to say whether they will take him up on it, but the offer is there if they want it.
“It would be highly unlikely if there was an invitation extended [to Sandringham] and I don’t think they [the Sussexes) would take them up on it anyway.”
Althorp is the Spencer’s ancestral estate and the final resting place of Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.
It is widely reported that Prince Harry has remained in contact with his uncle and his mother’s family over the years. Spencer also attended a service in May for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, of which Prince Harry is a founder, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Tension between the Royal Family and Markle and Prince Harry is reportedly still high since the couple exited the firm to pursue a “quieter” life before giving a tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey and writing a revelatory book, Spare. Prince Harry and Markle continue to reside in Montecito, California, where they relocated after initially departing England. It’s unclear if the health issues both King Charles and Kate Middleton have faced have spurred amends, but the Christmas snub doesn’t speak to a resolution.
Here’s hoping the couple make it to the UK for Christmas with Prince Harry’s family. It is, after all, what the season is all about.
