The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will not celebrate Christmas this year with the Royal family.
They will reportedly celebrate the festival in the US with their seven-month-old son Archie and Meghan's mother Doria Ragland who lives in California. By doing so, the couple will break a number of Royal traditions observed on Christmas, which the family follows every year.
As a Christmas tradition, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, along with other members of the Royal family, visit the Magdalene Church every year - they walk till there from the Sandringham Estate located nearby. Meghan and Prince Harry, thus, may not be a part of the Church visit if they ultimately end up celebrating Christmas in the US.
Another Royal tradition that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be a part of is the Christmas Eve dinner and drinks party at St. James's Palace. This party is a strictly private affair, as per a report in Insider. However, the palace staff also attend the do, and interact with the Queen and other members of the Royal family.
Meghan and Prince Harry will also miss the session on Christmas Eve where members of the Royal family exchange gifts during the afternoon tea. Grant Harrold, former butler of Prince Charles, told Insider, "The Queen arrives a few days before everyone else, like any good hostess, to ensure everything is ready," while speaking about this tradition.
"Then most of the royals will arrive on Christmas Eve. They will have afternoon tea, which is traditionally held between 4 pm and 6 pm, where they will exchange gifts," Harrold added.
Even Meghan and Prince Harry's Christmas decorations will be different from that at St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle, UK. The Royals like to go the traditional way when it comes to Christmas décor. On the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead website, pictures of the castle - decorated with Christmas lights and garlands - were made available off late.
Moreover, the Royal couple will also not be able to taste the culinary delights of the Royal chef for dinner. Every year, the Royal family dines together on Christmas during which the Queen's personal chef cooks a spread.
