Celebrity News November 13, 2019
Breaking Royal Tradition? Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Reveal Their Holiday Plans
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The month before Christmas, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are opening up on their plans for the holidays.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace read: “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Hours before the statement was released, a source claimed that Harry and Meghan already informed the Queen that they won't be spending the holidays at Sandringham. A source told The Sun, “They need some time away to recharge and decide their plans for next year.”
In October, a royal source confirmed to People magazine that Harry and Meghan will soon take six weeks off, calling it "family time."
"The Duke and Duchess have a full schedule of engagements and commitments until mid-November, after which they will be taking some much-needed family time," the source told People. There are even rumors they're thinking of moving from England and settling in South Africa, with Harry recently saying Cape Town would be "amazing" for their son, Archie.
For the past two years, the couple has been spending the holidays with the Royal family at Sandringham. For his whole life, Harry has always been there for the holidays, except for 2012 when he was in Afghanistan.
Last year, there were rumors that Doria would join Meghan and the royals for Christmas, but there was no truth to the reports. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Town & Country, “The blood that runs through the royals' veins is the blood of tradition. They represent everything that is traditional. And the Queen's Christmas Sandringham gathering has always been for immediate family and immediate family only. For example, Carole and Michael Middleton have never been invited to join the royals for Christmas at Sandringham. Going back to Princess Diana, her mother, even when she was a widow, was never invited. And that wouldn't be a snub to her. It's just they are sticklers for tradition in the royal family."
