In this festive season, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are far from enjoying the joyful Christmas atmosphere. The royal couple is facing a year-end filled with tensions. Once, the festivities at Sandringham evoked for Harry the pleasures of a traditional British Christmas, with royal lunches and eccentric gifts. However, since 2018, the Duke of Sussex has not celebrated Christmas with his royal family.
The couple, settled in California since the Megxit, has built a life far from London. Harry, although integrated into Meghan’s daily life, feels homesick and longs to reconnect with family traditions. This year, he expresses the desire to return to England for Christmas, hoping that recent family tensions will ease.
The hope for reconciliation was rekindled on November 14, during a video call for Charles III‘s birthday, where Archie and Lilibet sang for their grandfather. However, the situation remains complex. Charles, recently criticized by Harry and Meghan, notably in interviews and books, remains cautious. The strained relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton further complicates the situation.
The royal family journalist for Harper’s Bazaar for 10 years, Omid Scobie, published a new book End of Reign on November 28, exacerbating tensions. This book criticizes Prince William, provoking his anger and putting Charles in a delicate position.
Faced with these circumstances, Charles is considering various options for the holidays: inviting the Sussexes, excluding them, or inviting them only for New Year’s. A key element would be the signing of a non-disclosure agreement by Harry and Meghan in case of a visit, to prevent any media leak.
While the world is passionate about the series The Crown on Netflix, the royal family, for its part, seems to be at a crossroads, with an uncertain Christmas reconciliation.