Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and their son Archie Harrison are not going to spend Christmas with the royal family. Instead, the Sussexes are going to enjoy the holidays in the United States but this decision has apparently hurt Queen Elizabeth.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward believes that Queen Elizabeth is not actually happy that Prince Harry and Meghan decided to be in America for their son's first Christmas. It might appear that the Sussex royals had Her Majesty's blessing not to join the annual tradition but sources said the Queen is deeply disappointed when they turned down her invitation.
An official palace statement confirmed that Prince Harry, Meghan and Archie will be spending Christmas with Meghan Markle's mom, Doria Ragland, in the United States. The palace said that the royal couple opted this because they have spent the last two Christmases in Sandringham.
Seward said that while Christmases in Sandringham could be stressful for a young baby like Archie, who is barely a year old, it's still sad that Prince Harry and Meghan won't be celebrating with Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who are in their old age. The biographer also believes that Queen Elizabeth might just be just too gracious to let Prince Harry and Meghan know of her disappointment.
Another royal biographer Angela Levin echoed Seward's sentiments that Queen Elizabeth could be quite upset about Prince Harry and Meghan's snub. Christmases have always been an important time for Her Majesty though it can be a very regimented tradition.
The royal expert think that Meghan may be uncomfortable with the royal family at the moment, following her emotional revelation that no one has asked if she was okay amid the media scrutiny. However, Levin said that Christmas should not be about Meghan Markle. Rather, it is the Queen's time and the royal family's time to mingle and bond, and even mend things if there's a rift.
Prince Harry and Meghan announced in late October that they will be taking a six-week break from their royal duties to fly to the United States. That trip was scheduled around the U.S. holiday, Thanksgiving, but it turns out that Prince Harry and Meghan also decided to spend Christmas in America.
It's unclear, however, if the Sussex royals are going to welcome Christmas in Los Angeles, where Meghan's mom lives. They could also go to other parts of the U.S., such as New York, since Meghan has friends there.
