Prince William, Kate Paved The Way For Prince Harry, Meghan To Skip Christmas At Sandringham

Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly paved the way so Prince Harry and Meghan could not spend Christmas with Queen Elizabeth. Earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that they would skip out on the Christmas family tradition this year to spend Christmas somewhere else.

Prince Harry and Meghan made headlines this week as they snubbed Queen Elizabeth’s invitation to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the royal family. It has been a tradition for the family to spend Christmas together at Queen Elizabeth’s residence, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly wanted to either spend Christmas at Windsor or fly to the U.S. to spend the season with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.

While reports have claimed that Queen Elizabeth was hurt by their decision, more recent reports suggest that Prince Harry and Meghan’s move is not without precedence and has the support of the Queen. In fact, Prince Harry and Meghan will not be the first senior royals to skip out on the Christmas family tradition.

Back in 2012, Prince William and Kate also chose to spend Christmas with Kate’s family, skipping the festivities at Sandringham. That time, Prince William and Kate were already expecting their first child, Prince George, and so Kate wanted to spend their last Christmas with the Middletons before they become parents.

On Christmas Day of that year, Prince William and Kate attended church in Englefield with Kate’s family, Mike, Carole, Pippa, and James. Prince Harry also missed Christmas at Sandringham that same year as he was on active duty in Afghanistan.

According to a representative of Prince Harry and Meghan, the duke and duchess would like to use their time away from the royal family this Christmas to “recharge their batteries.” It is no secret that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have gone through a lot this year and have revealed in their recent ITV documentary their struggles as royals.

While royal biographer Ingrid Seward said it’s “sad” that Prince Harry and Meghan snubbed Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas invitation, a royal source said Prince Harry and Meghan deserve some time away. “They need some time away to recharge and decide their plans for next year,” said the source.