Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly keen to return to the U.K. this Christmas season. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to spend the holidays surrounded by members of the royal family, especially Prince Philip.
A source told the Daily Express that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are "eager" to spend time with Prince Philip once they are home. Harry and Meghan apparently feel some uncertainty for his health as a 99-year-old man who has pre-existing conditions in this time of COVID-19.
In December 2019, Prince Philip spent a few days at a London hospital for observation just before spending Christmas in Sandringham. Buckingham Palace issued a statement to confirm that his hospitalization was a precautionary measure as advised by his doctors.
Witnesses said that the Duke of Edinburgh walked unaided when he went inside the hospital. He also didn't need an ambulance transport from his Norfolk home to London, thus there were no causes for worry.
Insiders believe, however, that only time will tell if Harry and Meghan are actually able to leave the U.S., where they have been staying since the pandemic. The Sussex pair are taking it one step at a time but they have high hopes that they will manage to fly back to the U.K. despite the travel restrictions.
Prince Harry and Meghan's biggest reason for returning home is for their son, Archie Harrison. According to the reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex want Archie to see his great-grandparents in person this holiday. The baby, who will soon be 18 months, is familiar with Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth as he apparently often does video conferencing call to the elder royals with the help of his father.
Meanwhile, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth are still isolating from many people, including members of the royal family, since the pandemic struck. In June, Prince Charles expressed that he feels terrible not seeing his parents and grandkids due to the lockdown.
Prince Charles said that he's grateful there's telephone and FaceTime so he can still speak to family members. However, he longs for hugs and actually meeting each other in person because taking over video conferences is not the same thing as face-to-face meetings.
But, Harry, Meghan and Archie's Christmas visit might still pose some risks as they could carry the virus while traveling and harm Prince Philip and the Queen. It's unclear what the Palace protocols are for the holidays. Royal aides said that this is still up for discussion.
