Harry and Meghan Skip Royal Christmas Gathering in England

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are unlikely to join the British royal family for official Christmas celebrations this holiday season, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex expected to spend the period with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland in California instead.

According to multiple outlets including the Times of London, the couple and their children will not attend the traditional royal gathering at Sandringham, King Charles III's private estate in eastern England. Harry and Meghan last spent Christmas with the royal family in 2018.

The Sussexes have been settling into life in the Cotswolds after moving back to the United Kingdom in August, according to reports. Their children Archie and Lilibet attend school in the area, and the couple are preparing for their first joint engagement since returning.

Harry and Meghan also plan to spend Thanksgiving with Ragland, with arrangements depending on her preference. A friend of the couple told the Times of London, "They will do whatever Doria wants to do," according to the publication.

The couple's reported holiday plans mean they will miss the royal family's annual Sandringham traditions, which include a Christmas Eve gift exchange and a public walk to church on Christmas Day. The family gathering has been held at Sandringham regularly since 1988, aside from cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Times of London reported that Harry and Meghan "know it would be too awkward and too difficult" to reunite with Harry's relatives at Sandringham.

Hello! magazine royal editor Emily Nash said the Sussexes' visit with Ragland had long been expected.

"Always the plan," Nash said, describing the arrangement for Harry and Meghan to see Doria Ragland.

Reports have said that spending more time with King Charles III was one reason the Sussexes returned to England. The Times also reported that Harry and Charles remain in contact by phone, although they have not met since Harry's return.

Harry and Meghan last saw Charles in July during a private afternoon tea with Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. Before that meeting, Archie and Princess Lilibet had not seen their grandfather since June 2022.

Harry has also spoken publicly about his relationship with his family. In an interview with the BBC in 2025, he expressed a desire for reconciliation with relatives.

"I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious," Harry said in the BBC interview.

The Sandringham estate has played a major role in royal holiday traditions for generations. King George V, the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, described the property with strong personal affection.

"Dear old Sandringham, the place I love better than anywhere else in the world," King George V said.

Since returning to England, Harry has been working on the 2027 Invictus Games, while Meghan continues work on her lifestyle brand As Ever and has reconnected with friends and acquaintances in the United Kingdom.