The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been praised for a “sensible” decision that royal expert Katie Nicholl says saves King Charles from “embarrassment” and could earn the couple “brownie points”.
Harry and Meghan are back living in the UK with their children after six years in the US, but their relationship with Harry’s royal relatives is not back to how it was. Tensions are believed to still exist, with the family reportedly not having seen King Charles since they moved back in August. They last saw him in July, when the monarch invited them to Highgrove House.
Christmas plans confirmed
While it is likely they will see the King before the end of the year, it has been reported that Harry’s return to the UK has not secured him a seat at the Christmas dinner table at Sandringham. Instead, it is believed Harry and Meghan have already confirmed that their Christmas plans involve being with Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland. It is unclear whether this will be in the UK or the US.
While Harry and Meghan may not have been invited to Sandringham for Christmas anyway, royal expert Katie Nicholl, one of the hosts of the Royals Uncensored podcast, has praised the couple, as it saves the royals from having to make this awkward decision.
Royal expert's verdict
Speaking about the Duke and Duchess’ choice to disclose their non-royal Christmas plans already, Katie said on the podcast: “I think it's the most sensible thing that they have done.”
She continued: “They're sidestepping an issue that would bring embarrassment and potential awkwardness for the royals. They clearly aren't going to be sitting around having a nice cosy Sandringham lunch.
“I just think the way they are neatly sidestepping this, taking themselves out of the equation, being proactive in the right way could perhaps earn them some brownie points.”
Family ties and past Christmases
It was reported just days ago that Harry and Meghan would not be spending Christmas at Sandringham, with a friend revealing this to The Sunday Times. They said: “For Thanksgiving and Christmas, they (Harry and Meghan) will do whatever Doria wants to do.
“They would love her to come over to the UK and spend it with them here, but they will be wherever she wants to be.”
With Harry and Meghan still not on great terms with all the Duke’s royal relatives, something that has been ongoing since he quit royal duty in 2020, it is unlikely the family would have been invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham anyway. This is even though King Charles probably would enjoy having his grandchildren, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, around him on Christmas Day.
While they are the King’s grandchildren, they have never experienced a royal Christmas. The last time Harry and Meghan spent Christmas with the Royal Family was in 2018, the year they got married. They spent Archie’s first Christmas in Canada in 2019 on a private holiday, and the remaining festive periods after they quit royal life in 2020 at their Montecito home in California.
