Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Would Only ‘Dampen’ the Royal Family’s Plans Going to Sandringham for Christmas
Another royal family Christmas without Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex aren’t reportedly going to be at Sandringham for the holidays. A royal expert says their presence would only “dampen” the royal family’s plans for Christmas Day.
Harry and Meghan aren’t expected to join the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham
The guest list for the royal family’s Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, England, supposedly doesn’t include Harry and Meghan. Reports have had them opting out of the festivities as early as October 2022.
At the time the U.K.’s The Sun claimed the couple had “no plans” of leaving their home in Montecito, California, for a royal family Christmas. Suggested reasons included Harry’s upcoming Spare memoir and relations being “near rock bottom.”
On Nov. 24, royal biographer Angela Levin, a long outspoken critic of Harry and Meghan, said they’re RSVPing “no.”
“Harry and Meghan aren’t coming which I think will be a huge relief for the rest of the family,” she said (via The Sun).
Meanwhile, the Harry: A Biography of a Prince author remarked Prince William and Kate Middleton “will be there by the king and queen’s side for part of the holiday.”
The royal family wants to make Christmas a ‘very positive day’ and Harry and Meghan’s presence would ‘dampen’ it, expert says
Apparently, Harry and Meghan’s presence at Sandringham for Christmas would only mess with the royal family’s plans.
“The family will want to make it a very positive day after the queen’s death,” Levin said. “And I think the Sussexes’ presence would most certainly dampen that.”
Furthermore, festivities will, of course, be different with the queen not being there. However, according to Levin, it means there’s less of a push for a big family gathering.
“The queen’s death means that there won’t be as much pressure to have all of the family together, which is good, because it seems Harry and Meghan won’t be present,” she said.
Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary might be a factor, expert explains
Why are Harry and Meghan supposedly opting out of spending the holidays at Sandringham? Levin believes it has to do with their upcoming Netflix documentary.
The untitled project directed by Liz Garbus is expected to be released in the weeks before Christmas. Levin believes their alleged push for a post-holidays debut is particularly telling.
“It’s very interesting that they tried, especially Harry, very very hard to get it out for after Christmas,” she said. “It makes me feel that they could very well attack the monarchy again and be very nasty about the king despite the fact that he lost his mother.”
“It’s been said that they’re not coming but it also I think on what the documentary is like whether or not they would be invited at all,” she continued.
“It’s up the Sussexes on whether they want their children to know what their father’s family is like. But also it could be a case where the royals don’t want them there after the documentary.”
“On one level it looks like Harry and Meghan want their kids to know but on another they don’t.
“They want titles for them but they don’t want them to mix with the very people who can give them to them.”
“Every time you think ‘they can’t get much worse’ they just do and I feel as if that is how the family is feeling also,” she concluded.
