Months after moving back to the U.K., Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle are expected to stay there for Christmas, marking the first time the couple has celebrated the holiday there with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
USA Today reported the news on November 4, 2026, after weeks of rumors that the family would return to California for the holiday. With them staying the U.K., could the deep freeze between them and members of the royal family begin to defrost?
Harry and Meghan Will Host Her Mom for Christmas
After six years in California, Harry and Meghan made a surprise move to the U.K., despite continued tensions with members of the royal family, especially Harry’s brother, Prince William.
In October, The Times newspaper of London reported that Harry and Meghan knew they weren’t invited to the royal family’s traditional celebrations in Norfolk, so they’d likely head back to the U.S. for the holidays. The last time they spent Christmas with the royal family was in 2018, the year that they were married.
But USA Today reported that it now “understands” the Sussexes will celebrate Christmas in their new home with Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, noting that it’s far easier for her to travel to them than vice versa.
On November 2, the Daily Mail’s high society reporter Robert Eden reported that the family had just moved into a home in the Cotswolds after searching for a home with “lots of land, no public rights of way, and nine bedrooms at least” for a budget of $13 million. He wrote that while looking, the family of four had been living in the “main house” on a friend’s property, but have now moved into another “property on the estate.”
Eden said the couple is renting the home but still own their estate in Montecito, California, mansion, with a wine cellar, movie theater, gym, spa, swimming pool, tennis court, and 13.5 bathrooms. They also have a vacation home in Portugal.
Could Harry & Meghan’s Family Reunite With the Royals For Christmas?
Whether Harry, Meghan and their kids participate in any of the royal family’s Christmas festivities remains to be seen. There’s a great deal of tradition surrounding the holidays, but they stepped down as senior royals in 2020. Harry technically remains a prince, however, and is fifth in line to the throne. He has also said recently that he hopes to reconcile with his brother.
Among the royal family’s annual traditions, they typically release Christmas cards with a formal photo of King Charles, Queen Camilla, and another of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children.
King Charles also holds a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace for extended members of the family, a tradition he’s carried on from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. According to USA Today, Princess Kate hosts an annual Together at Christmas carol service at London’s Westminster Abbey.
Meanwhile, on Christmas Day, the royal family has gathered at the Sandringham estate each year since 1988. They start with a morning church service, walking to the service as crowds line the streets in the cold to get a peek at the royals.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s New Christmas Plans Could Prompt Royal Reunion