Where to spend Christmas is a common dilemma for couples – and one that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently said to find themselves in.
A source has told OK! that Prince Harry and Meghan are said to be divided over locations – causing a potential Christmas crisis for the couple.
“Although they haven’t visited Sandringham since 2018, an invitation has been extended to them in previous years, bar the Covid years,” the source said. “It was made clear to them that the door is always open at big royal family occasions for the children’s sake.”
However, Harry was not invited to the King’s 75th birthday celebrations in London this week according to his representative. Our source said he had resigned himself to staying away from festive family get-togethers until he patches things up with his brother and father. But he still has his heart set on being in the UK with close friends.
“As well as being invited to Sandringham for Christmas,” the source said, “Harry has been invited, along with Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet, to join Charles van Straubenzee’s family during the festive season. They have homes in London and Lincolnshire.
“Charlie is Harry’s best friend and also Archie’s godfather and the pair have recently grown closer again following a rather distant few years when Harry first moved over to America.”
However, our source said one of the reasons the duke had not yet accepted any UK invitations from either family or friends, was because of Meghan’s eagerness to spend Christmas in the US with her Montecito set.
The Sussexes’ Californian social circle is ever-growing, and last week Harry and Meghan travelled from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas in style on a 40-minute private jet flight with The Holiday star Cameron Diaz, her musician husband Benji Madden and Avatar actress Zoe Saldaña to see Katy Perry in concert.
“They [the Sussexes] have received a number of invites from their friends in the US for the holidays,” said the source.
“It’s not like they don’t have anywhere to go. David [Foster, husband of singer and actress Katharine McPhee] has invited them for his extended Christmas weekend and there are also other options on the table. But there seems to be a stalemate over where they should go.”
Apart from during lockdown, the royals have celebrated Christmas at Sandringham each year since 1988, and this year they have planned a fun-packed holiday for a host of youngsters, including Archie and Lilibet’s cousins Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
In their Netflix documentary Harry And Meghan, Harry admitted he missed “the weird family gatherings when we’re all brought together under one roof for certain times of the year”.
Our source said, “Harry always enjoyed large family Christmases. It’s a shame that his children will miss out on the fun. He used to say that nobody could celebrate Christmas like the Windsors. He experienced that festive togetherness for his entire life until his move to America and he really misses it.
“The Christmas plans are causing a bit of tension because he’s fed up with being away from everyone during key milestones.”
Relationship expert Louella Alderson told us it would be no surprise if the couple’s Christmas arrangements were a cause of strain.
“Given that Harry and Meghan have spent the last four Christmases outside of the UK, it’s understandable that Harry may want to return home for the holidays,” she said. “It’s also unsurprising that the conversation surrounding their plans might be causing tension between him and Meghan. Many couples struggle to agree on this matter.”
Her comments came as former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter said he thought the Sussexes’ marriage would last “years rather than decades”.
Louella, co-founder of dating app sosyncd.com, added, “It’s even more complicated when couples come from different countries, with different ways of doing things. After so many years away, Harry could be feeling nostalgic, longing for the familiar traditions he grew up with. He might also want his children to experience a holiday in the UK to balance out the American traditions they’ve been exposed to.”
Strained relations between the Sussexes and the royal family are unlikely to stop Harry from yearning to return home for Christmas, said Louella, but Meghan’s reluctance was to be expected.
“It’s still Harry’s home, but after Meghan’s negative experience in the UK, it’s natural that she may want to distance herself and spend quality time with the people she loves,” she said. “Any feelings of anger and negativity she harbours should be taken into consideration and respected by Harry as they plan their Christmas together.”
Relationships are all about give and take, said Louella, so Harry and Meghan need to take into account each other’s point of view.
“Harry has compromised a lot for Meghan in the past few years, so he may feel like spending Christmas in the UK
is a small request in comparison to what he has given up,” she said.
“If Meghan is unable or unwilling to compromise, it could lead to tension between them. It’s important for them both to view their Christmas plans from each other’s perspective and find a solution that makes them both happy.”
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