Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be joining the British royal family for Christmas at Sandringham this year, continuing the strained relations between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Windsors.
According to The Mirror, the couple was left off the guest list for the holiday gathering, a longstanding royal tradition. The last time Harry and Meghan attended Christmas with the royal family was in 2018, shortly after their marriage.
This exclusion follows their omission from other significant royal events earlier this year, such as Trooping the Colour in June, King Charles III’s official birthday celebration. The royal couple has reportedly been spending most holidays in the US since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Relationship strains continue
As reported by Vanity Fair, relations between Prince Harry and the royal family remain tense, particularly with his father, King Charles, and his brother, Prince William. Harry reportedly attempted to discuss issues such as his ongoing battle over security with the King, but sources close to the palace have stated that the notion King Charles controls his son’s security is “wholly incorrect.”
Adding to the tension, Harry’s calls and letters to the King have reportedly gone unanswered in recent months. A friend of Harry told People, “He gets ‘unavailable right now.’ He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
Earlier this year, the King and Harry briefly reunited following Charles’ cancer diagnosis in February, sparking hopes of reconciliation. However, those hopes were short-lived, and communication has since deteriorated further.
While Harry and Meghan remain absent, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children are expected to attend the Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have yet to officially release the guest list for the gathering.
This year’s royal festivities mark another chapter in a series of publicised estrangements.
As per Vanity Fair, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have distanced themselves from the family since their 2020 move to California. Their subsequent revelations, including a high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey, have deepened the divide.
Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, had also described Christmas at Sandringham as challenging. In her biography by Andrew Morton, she referred to the holiday gatherings as “terrifying and so disappointing,” marked by tension and insider jokes she didn’t understand.