Harry and Meghan Plan Christmas With Doria Ragland

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, rather than attend the British royal family's traditional holiday gathering at Sandringham, according to reports published October 12, 2026. The couple, who returned to the United Kingdom with their children in August, are reportedly willing to travel to California or host Ragland in Britain, depending on her preference.

According to The Sunday Times, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not expect to receive an invitation to celebrate Christmas with King Charles III and other members of the royal family. Their plans come as Harry's relationship with his father has reportedly improved, despite continuing tensions within the wider family.

A friend of the couple told The Sunday Times that Ragland's wishes would determine where the family spends the holidays.

"For Thanksgiving and Christmas, they 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."

The same source said the couple does not anticipate joining the royal gathering at Sandringham and considers such an arrangement too difficult given the circumstances surrounding their relationship with the family.

"They won't be having Christmas with the royal family. How could that even work? They know it would be too awkward and too difficult. They also know they're not going to be invited, and they're not waiting for an invitation."

Harry and Meghan last spent Christmas with the royal family in 2018. Their return to Britain has coincided with renewed contact between Harry and his relatives, although his relationship with his brother, Prince William, remains strained, according to People.

The couple and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, reportedly joined Charles and Queen Camilla for tea in July. People also reported that Harry and his father have continued communicating by telephone.

King Charles has the final say over invitations to royal family gatherings, according to a palace source cited by OK! magazine. The source described the monarch's authority over arrangements for the family's holiday celebrations.

"There is a hierarchy," a palace source explained to OK! magazine. "And the King is the CEO, he's the boss — what he says go, so it's better not to put themselves in any difficult position."

Charles's health has also drawn attention to the family's holiday plans. Reports in 2025 said the King wanted to make Christmas especially meaningful amid his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.

A source cited by Us Weekly in 2025 described the monarch's approach to his responsibilities and family life.

"prioritizes duty, but he's also a family man who knows his time is precious. He wants a special last Christmas in case it's his last."

The report also included comments from sources describing the King's health and the family's approach to his treatment.

"He will do everything expected of him and more. His health isn't the best. They're taking it day by day."

Separately, royal commentator Rob Shuter reported on October 5 that Harry and Meghan were expected to meet Charles and Queen Camilla around the holiday period. The reported meeting would represent another step in efforts to maintain contact between father and son, but it does not indicate that the Sussexes will attend the royal family's Christmas celebrations.

A source cited by Shuter characterized the proposed meeting as a deliberate arrangement rather than an informal encounter.

"This is not a casual 'let's get together sometime,'" the source told Naughty But Nice. "Nobody drops in on the King. If Harry and Meghan are in Charles's diary, it is because he wants them there. This is deliberate."

The same report described both Charles and Harry as committed to continuing their reconciliation.

"determined to keep the fragile reconciliation moving forward," the source said, adding, "The important thing is that there will be another meeting. Charles is making room for his son again, and Harry knows how significant that is."