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It’s possible that Archie Harrison might celebrate his first Christmas stateside. HOLA! USA’s sister brand HELLO! confirmed on Wednesday, November 13, that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t be spending their son’s first Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen, 93, and other royal family members. Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will ring in the holiday with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland , who resides in Los Angeles.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month. Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, [the couple] will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria,” Buckingham Palace told royal reporter Omid Scobie.
The palace spokesperson added, “This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen.” Omid noted that the palace won’t be disclosing details about the Sussexes’ Christmas plans “for security reasons.”
It’s not clear if Meghan, Harry and Archie will celebrate the holidays in sunny California, or at their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, with Doria. But, the royal trio will soon be traveling across the pond for Thanksgiving. It was previously reported that the Duke and Duchess are taking a six-week break from their royal duties and will observe the American holiday in the states with Meghan’s mother.
Per HELLO!, Harry has spent every Christmas with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, except in 2012 when he was in Afghanistan. Meghan has also celebrated the holiday at Sandringham for the past two years. The decision isn’t very surprising given that Prince William and Kate Middleton alternate Christmas between the royals and the Middletons.
However, news of Meghan and Harry’s holiday plans comes weeks after the Duke of Sussex addressed the rumored rift between him and his older brother Prince William . “We’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I’ll always be there for him and as I know, he’ll always be there for me,” he said during the ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. “We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we’re so busy, but I love him dearly.”