Following the ousting of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor last month, Christmas for the Royal Family this year is undoubtedly up in arms as they continue to streamline not just the monarchy, but the guest list for their traditional festivities at their country home of Sandringham.
Now, with Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s names undoubtedly swiped off, and Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice’s fate still reportedly being decided, there could be a few extra party crowns going spare at the festive get together.
And after having visited his father King Charles for afternoon tea at Clarence House in September, an insider now shares Prince Harry’s hopes that his invite will now be upgraded and that, in the spirit of forgiveness, he and Meghan Markle, alongside their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, will be welcomed with open arms for Christmas Day – and potentially beyond.
An insider tells us, ‘Harry is on tenterhooks waiting to get the go ahead to visit King Charles in England at Christmas and is adamant that he needs to be with his father any chance he gets.
‘Truth is, he’s terribly homesick and finding Hollywood a very lonely and foreign place to be right now and he’d love to see his family and catch up with some of his old friends, too. He’s talking seriously about extending the trip and blocking off much of December, but until he gets the approval he can’t plan anything.’
Last week also saw the announcement of Kate Middleton’s annual Together at Christmas concert in Westminster Abbey, which will be held on 5th December.
The event’s reveal is a sure sign that the Royal Family have festive preparations well underway, with the celebrity-studded event – which will this year celebrate those who contribute to society – ringing in the Christmas period.
However, back in Montecito, self-confessed planner Meghan, 44, is one step ahead, having already been promoting her lifestyle brand’s festive treats since October.
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Meticulously orchestrated, Meghan’s social media post to announce her seasonal range includes a video of the Duchess, draped in earth-toned silk, lighting candles, tending to foliage, writing hand-written gift tags and glazing a turkey with her own brand of honey. And there’s jam, of course, that was served at breakfast with granola in cocktail glasses.
But behind the sepia-soaked scenes of harmony, with not an Elf on the Shelf in sight, the source says that the uncertainty overshadowing the Sussexes Christmas plans has, in reality, caused a whole lot of seasonal stress.
‘The whole waiting game, and to have everything thrown into chaos by the royals, who still haven’t given Harry the courtesy of a date to work around, is beyond inconvenient,’ the insider says.
‘That alone is very stressful because Meghan is a planner, she has a full schedule and she needs to lock things in sometimes months in advance, she can’t just drop everything to fly over to the UK with Harry – to her that would upend everything.’
They add, ‘Harry understands it’s stressful for her and he’s always sympathetic but he feels it’s crucial that she make a show of good faith. He wants her to push through but it’s a tense situation and it’s impossible for that tension not to overshadow everything.’
Ahead of his trip in September, it had been 19 months since Harry, 41, last saw his father and, while it was reported that the meeting had been very formal, the estranged royal has since opened up about how he wants to ‘focus’ on his dad in the year ahead.
Meanwhile, Meghan has not returned since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022 and is widely reported to have no intention of ever stepping foot on UK soil again.
Now we’re told the couple are at loggerheads as they disagree over how to spend the holidays, with Meghan wanting to stay at their home in Montecito.
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‘The deeper truth is that she doesn’t want to go back to England. Just the discussions about it have got her anxious,’ the insider says.
‘Harry understands why Meghan’s so reluctant to come but wishes she’d find it in her heart to support him and is still hoping she comes to the UK with him, if only so Archie and Lili can meet their grandpa.
‘He can’t imagine a scenario whereby he brings the kids by himself because that could be a major disruption to their routine and quite stressful all round.’
And the source says that this latest stand-off, which comes almost six years after they left the UK, is just the latest hurdle the duo have faced in recent months over Harry’s wish to reunite with his family.
We’re told, ‘Right now, it’s so painfully apparent that they’re on totally separate pages when it comes to this predicament.
‘The way things stand right now he’s on standby to pack his bags and take off at a moment’s notice, totally by himself, which is obviously far from ideal.
‘This is supposed to be such a happy time of year but sadly for Meghan and Harry there is a lot of discord happening so it’s hard to imagine that it will be a very fun holiday season.’
However, while being photographed attending the Royal Family’s Christmas Day church service at Sandringham would be a huge signal to the public that Harry’s rift with his family is well on its way to healing; the Sussexes are also facing reputational disaster stateside after requesting that snaps of them, taken inside Kris Jenner’s birthday party earlier this month, be removed from social media.
We recently reported how Meghan is now focusing on getting back into Kris’ good graces and, alongside the Christmas edition of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, the former Suits actress has also been filming for her role in upcoming comedy, Close Personal Friends.
And the source says that while Harry hopes to spend more time in the UK, Meghan’s focus is on continuing to build her life stateside – where she intends to celebrate Christmases for many years to come.
‘Meghan’s still very scarred by all the mud that’s under the bridge and she’s way more focused on what they’ve got going on in America, both work-wise and socially,’ the insider says.
‘There’s no way she’s willing to break away from the movie she’s currently shooting, that would be career suicide, plus she’s already RSVP’d to a bunch of seasonal get-togethers and she plans to host some gatherings at the house, as well as enjoying special days out and family time with the kids.’
Meanwhile, they add, ‘Right now it seems like Harry’s heart has totally gone from the life he’s built in America, at least that’s how Meghan sees it, and that’s got her feeling increasingly resentful.
‘She’s bored rigid with these conversations about Harry’s family and wishes Harry would show some backbone and put his own family first.’
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