Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spend Christmas apart from royals after ‘snub

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to spend another Christmas oceans away from the Royal Family as their frosty relationship shows no sign of thawing.

It has been revealed that couple will not be returning to the UK for Christmas as they have not recieved an invite for this year’s get-together at Sandringham, according to a source close to the couple, cited in People magazine.

It comes as King Charles’ Christmas plans have been unveiled, with sources close to the monarch telling The Mirror this week that he hopes to unite his family with one big festive bash, following a traumatic year riddled with health battles.

Princess Kate and Prince William will join the King and the extended Royal Family for Christmas at Sandringham, marking the first time the royals have come together en-masse after Charles and Kate’s cancer battles. Preparations are understood to be well under-way to make the seasonal get-together truly special.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not spent Christmas at Sandringham since 2018, two years before quitting royal life and moving to California. While their lack of invite is somewhat unsurprising since given their strained relationship with senior royals – and Harry’s ongoing legal battle over security for his family during UK visits – the King’s renewed focus on family unity will likely sting for the couple.

Harry has been back in the UK multiple times this year but last saw his father Charles in February. A source told People: “Nothing would give [Harry] more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father. At the end of the day, you can’t undo bloodlines.”

The awkward invite revelation comes as Harry is reportedly gearing up to host a special Christmas party of his own, in yet another solo appearance without his wife Meghan. It is believed that invitations have gone out for the Duke of Sussex to host a special festive video call with children involved in a charity close to his heart.
The virtual event, set to take place on December 10, will reportedly see him chat with kids supported by Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity that supports youngsters who have lost a parent in the armed forces It will come after Harry also wrote a letter to the charity to mark Remembrance earlier this month and sent bags of sweets for children, who took part in the march past the Cenotaph during Remembrance Sunday.

According to the Express, the invitation email sent out by the chairty said: “Prince Harry would like to jump on a call with as many of our members as possible to wish them all a Merry Christmas. He appreciates that the festive season can be hard for our members and wants them to know he is thinking of them.” Charity members were also urged to submit a question for Harry as the invitation added: “This is your chance to get to know the Duke loads better and find out what Christmas is like for a Prince!”

The event is just the latest in a string of solo appearances for Harry and Meghan; a marked difference from just two years ago when Meghan once likened herself and her husband to salt and pepper as they always “move together”. Sources close to the couple say it shows their new “twin-track approach” with Harry focusing on his charity endeavours and Meghan on her entrepreneurial projects and business, such as her brand, American Rivieria Orchard.