It’s been six years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last spent Christmas at Sandringham – before their decision to quit royal life in January 2020 and publicly air their many grievances changed the landscape irreparably.
While a reconciliation between Harry and his estranged family has been widely speculated about this year, especially in the wake of King Charles’ and Kate Middleton’s back-to-back cancer diagnoses, it was reported at the end of last month that the Sussexes have not been invited to the Christmas celebrations at the famous Norfolk estate. And now, a source tells heat that the snub has affected the Sussexes – who have been based in Montecito, California, for almost five years with their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – in different ways.
While Harry, 40, remains focused on mending bridges in whichever way he can, former Suits star Meghan, 43, has taken the rebuff personally and feels as though they have been left out in the cold We’re told, ‘Harry recognises and accepts that brokering peace with his family is a slow burn, but he feels cautiously optimistic about what the future holds. He’s ending the year with a glass-half-full outlook, especially as he still has an open line to Kate. But from Meghan’s point of view, it’s incredibly demeaning that they haven’t been formally invited to the UK for Christmas. There’s been virtually zero attempt by the royals to mend fences or welcome them back into the fold and that really stings.’
The long-running and bitter fallout between Harry and Meghan and his family has been a talking point for several years, heightened by the Sussexes’ damning accusations about the royals and the couple’s alleged treatment within The Firm. These included their sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, their fly-on-the-wall Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, and the Duke’s record-breaking memoir Spare. It was in the latter that Harry accused Prince William of physically attacking him during an argument about Meghan. The brothers are currently understood to not be on speaking terms, though Harry has said, ‘Forgiveness is 100 per cent a possibility. I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back. I still would like reconciliation.’
With William and Kate, both 42, and their children George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and Louis, six, set to spend Christmas with King Charles and Camilla at Sandringham in line with tradition, we are told that Meghan was hoping for more of an intervention from her husband’s sister-in-law, who is said to have been encouraging a reunion behind the scenes. Our source says, ‘Meghan is well aware that William has major reservations about making peace with Harry, let alone inviting him back into the fold. But she believes he would be a lot more inclined if he had more encouragement from others, especially Kate, who – in her mind – aren’t doing enough to soften William’s stance. Meghan is very anxious not to appear critical of Kate, especially after what she’s been through this year. But at the same time, she does privately find it frustrating that she isn’t stepping up more to help Harry – especially as she’s touted as the peacemaker.’
Harry is not thought to have seen his father since making a flying visit to the UK in February following news of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis. At the time, Harry said, ‘I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go to see him, and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that.’ He also added that ‘any illness or sickness brings families together’. Meanwhile, Harry has two pending trips back to Britain – one in January for his legal battle against the publishers of The Sun, and in the spring, to appeal the decision to remove the automatic right to security for him, Meghan and their children in the UK. In July, the father of two said, ‘All it takes is one lone person… and whether it's a knife or acid… these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.’
But our source says Meghan believes the issue of security should not have stopped them getting an invite to Sandringham for Christmas – and the apparent disregard towards them has made the tense dynamic even more fraught. The insider explains, ‘Ultimately, Harry and Meghan were never going to spend Christmas in England, but it would have been nice to have been asked. The deafening silence that they continue to receive from across the pond really stresses Meghan out and she’s at a total loss about how to handle it. At this point, she fully expected that senior members of the family might have signalled more warmth towards her and Harry, or that they’d be on the receiving end of some reconciliation attempts. It’s got her analysing the situation and trying to figure out who’s blocking them, if only for clarity and peace of mind.’
They add, ‘For Meghan, it’s important to rise above the frostiness and try to be the bigger people. It’s too much of a one-way effort for her liking.’
