Harry and Meghan will be missing out on the Christmas Day celebrations at Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family for the seventh year in a rowGeorgia Burns Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer and Jennifer Newton
12:26, 21 Dec 2025Updated 12:31, 21 Dec 2025
Prince Harry won’t be spending Christmas with his father and brother, for the seventh year in a row(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
This Christmas marks the seventh consecutive year that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been absent from the Royal Family’s festive celebrations, as tensions within the family continue. The King’s son, 41, was once a central presence at Sandringham for celebrations.
The annual event included the traditional walk to the St Mary Magdalene Church service – but Harry has not joined the family gathering since 2018. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond suggested that Harry probably has mixed emotions about the holidays.
She believes he will be determined to make it memorable for his and Meghan’s young children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, but will still miss certain elements. She said: “He’s on record as saying he misses elements of his UK life, including the banter, pub culture, friends, and family gatherings.”
She continued: “And he says he still has a deep love for Britain so the images of his family making that familiar walk to Sandringham Church might, indeed, pull at his heartstrings. But maybe not for long. When he’s enjoying Christmas in the warm Californian sunshine, with his wife, children and mother-in-law, the attraction of an often grey, damp Norfolk might fade a little.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to spend Christmas in Montecito with Meghan’s mum and the children’s grandmother, Doria Ragland, who lives a short drive from their Los Angeles home, the Mirror reports.
Earlier this month, former Suits actress Meghan, 44, got into the festive spirit with the release of her With Love Holiday Special on Netflix.
The couple were once part of the royal family’s Christmas day traditions at Sandringham(Image: Getty Images)
Viewers watched her share her best festive wrapping and cooking times, along with what she described as “small moments [that] create the energy you want for the holidays”, including writing hand-written notes for Archie and Lilibet’s homemade advent calendar.
Additionally, Meghan revealed she likes to add personal touches to her Christmas tree, saying: “There’s just something about it that in one area in your house you’re able to really encapsulate your family story, really feel the passage of time and the different chapters of your life through the ornaments.”
Her emphasis on the importance of family highlighted just how strained Harry’s relationship remains with his own UK relatives, especially Prince William, who is set to spend Christmas Day at Sandringham with Kate, their children, and the King himself.
“I imagine that for King Charles there will always be a sadness that both his boys and their children aren’t with him at this special time of year. His two daughters in law often speak about love, kindness and the importance of family – and yet William and Harry remain as far apart as ever,” Jennie continues.
The brothers once shared a close bond, but have been estranged for a number of years now(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“But I don’t imagine Harry would readily swap the relaxed, chilled out California celebration for the formality of a royal Christmas. So, there might be a moment of nostalgia, but I think Harry will happily throw himself into an American style family day with his little ones.”
Meanwhile, Meghan’s father Thomas Markle Sr, is continuing his recovery after undergoing an emergency limb amputation in the Philippines.
Following conflicting reports about Meghan reaching out to the former TV lighting director after hearing about his condition, a spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed last week that a letter from the Duchess was “now safely in [Thomas’s] hands” thanks to the “support of reliable and trusted contacts”.