The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will spend Christmas alone, either in the UK or in Montecito, as they were never invited to Sandringham, according to commentator Carole Malone.
Speaking on the Express's Royals Unscripted podcast, Malone said the couple had only two choices for the holiday. "Well the only two choices they've got is that they spend it alone in the UK or alone in Montectio with Meghan's mum," she said. "That's the two choice because they were never invited to the Christmas."
Couple's limited options
Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in late August. They have settled in the Cotswolds, with the children enrolled in school. However, the couple confirmed they will not spend Christmas at Sandringham but with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland.
Prior to that confirmation, they were allegedly "torn" between spending the holiday in the UK or at their home in California. Malone added: "One of the quotes was 'it would have been awkward and difficult...' No. They were never invited. It was never going to be awkward or difficult because they're not going to be within 25 miles of the Royal Family at Christmas."
Strained relations with the Firm
The last time the couple spent Christmas at Sandringham was in 2018. Less than two years later, they stepped down as working royals and moved to Montecito, California. Events since then, including the Oprah Winfrey interview and Harry's memoir Spare, have caused a rift between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.
A friend told The Times: "They won't be having Christmas with the Royal Family. How could that even work? They know it would be too awkward and too difficult. They also know they're not going to be invited, and they're not waiting for an invitation."
Malone disagreed with that assessment. "Had they been invited they would've been there like a shot. But they haven't, and so they don't have a lot of choice but to go home," she said. "The only decision they had is where they spend it alone - Cotswolds alone or Montecito alone. It was never going to be with the Windsors."
