The Royal Family will breathe a 'huge sigh of relief' over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's plan to spend Christmas in the United States, according to the King's former butler.
Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry until 2011, said strained relations between the brothers could have sparked an 'awkward' festive period.
California trip avoids 'difficult' Sandringham dilemma
Harrold said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's plan to spend Christmas in California was also a 'get out of jail' card for the King, who will not have to invite them to the Royal Family's traditional seasonal gathering at Sandringham, Norfolk.
Speaking to an OLBG podcast, Harrold said: "It's very different to being poker face in public. It is awkward with family. It would have been such a difficult time."
The Duke and Duchess, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 after making racism accusations, plan to spend Christmas with Meghan's mother Doria, 70, who lives in California, where they still have an £11m home. The move will allow Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, to spend time with their grandmother, who is said to have a close relationship with both children.
King spared 'embarrassing' invitation decision
Harrold said the decision had defused a 'difficult' situation. "I think the King would have been in a very difficult situation not inviting them for Christmas," he said. "I think that would have really played on his mind.
"They have basically taken that out of the equation. But let's be fair it's most likely that they wouldn't have been invited and then it's embarrassing for them. It's much easier for them to say now, 'do you know what family, don't invite us because sadly we're not here'. It's a great get out card.
"I think Catherine will probably be breathing a sign of relief at the prospect that they're able to carry on and have a normal Christmas. For the King it's definitely the 'get out of jail' card."
Dispute over 'working members' label
In their latest dispute with the monarchy, it was revealed Harry and Meghan 'hate' the phrase 'working members of the Royal Family', which they think is a 'lazy' definition of official duty.
They claim it does not cover their current circumstances because they insist they are 'members of the Royal Family' who 'work' - even though they are not doing it for the monarchy. The term is traditionally used to define those who undertake engagements on behalf of the Royals and attend official events such as Trooping the Colour.
Though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have recently returned to the UK after six years in America, they have been told by the King they are not working Royals, cannot use the titles of 'His and Her Royal Highness' and are 'private citizens'.
That did not stop them carrying out their first joint public engagement since their return - a 'non-Royal' visit to Nottingham last week. A friend of the couple said the pair take exception to the traditional 'working' definition - and hate being called 'former Royals', which affects how 'people talk about them'.
The friend said: "'Working members of the Royal Family' is a really lazy phrase. He hates it, she hates it. They are not 'working' for the institution but they are members of the Royal Family and they work. Their days are built around their family life and their work. She's running a business seven-days-a-week.
"Things like Nottingham aren't done in the name of the institution or the Crown but Harry is the son of the King. He is still a member of the Royal Family. He's just not a member of the institution. It's misleading to call them 'former Royals'. It has an impact on how they're perceived and the way people talk about them."
Buckingham Palace declined to comment. But one unimpressed Royal observer said: "It's like a football manager saying he doesn't like the job title after he's been sacked. They are not Royals full-stop. They are ordinary members of the public. They may not want to acknowledge it but fact is fact. They want all the tinsel without doing the graft of chopping down the Christmas tree."
Relations remain frosty amid public opinion split
The remarks are unlikely to ease frosty relations with the Royal Family. A source close to them acknowledged there was 'distance' between Harry and his Prince of Wales brother and things were 'not perfect' between him and his father.
A recent YouGov poll of 4,500 British adults found 51% of people would prefer the Sussexes to remain non-working royals. Only 16% wanted them to resume their roles as working Royals. Since stepping back from royal duties, they have pursued commercial projects including tell-all books, documentaries, podcasts and public speaking engagements.
Ex-'Suits' star Meghan, 45, who plans to launch her As Ever lifestyle brand in the UK, is reportedly considering going back to acting. Harry, 42, is focused on his UK-based charities and preparing for the Invictus Games in Birmingham next summer.
The couple were said to be 'emotional and overjoyed' at their reception in Nottingham - their first joint appearance since 2017 shortly after announcing their engagement - and plan to do more in the coming months.
A source said: "They were really pleased. They didn't think people would turn out like they did. She is in a much better headspace than when she was doing it first time round. They both are.
"He's always at his happiest when he's out meeting people and supporting the causes. He's just enjoying himself. Having Meghan by his side takes the pressure off."
