One of the tabloid storylines this week is that the Duchess of Sussex is already miserable in the UK and she’s ready to move back to California, possibly around Christmas. That story is everywhere and nowhere, I guess it’s just vibes-based gossip. It comes at an interesting moment, given Prince Harry’s insistence that his biggest priority is reconciling with his garbage family. Do I think the two stories are connected? Perhaps. My question is: did Harry think he could move back to the UK and his father would immediately begin clearing the path for a deeper reconciliation? In other words, do you think Harry has been surprised that King Charles, Prince William and the entire royal family continue to keep him at arm’s length? I’ve believed for some time now that Charles absolutely knows how to push Harry’s buttons and that Charles enjoys withholding time and affection from the son who wants it the most. Speaking of, check out this Radar story.
Prince Harry is said to be heartbroken as Meghan Markle is apparently pushing ahead with plans to spend Christmas in America, RadarOnline.com can reveal. The Duke of Sussex, 42, had hoped to celebrate the holidays in Britain with his wife, 45, and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. But sources told us Markle is determined to return to California to spend Christmas with her mother, Doria Ragland, following a frosty reception from Buckingham Palace since the couple returned to the UK in August.
Our insider claimed: “Harry had desperately wanted to remain in Britain, believing Christmas offered a rare opportunity to rebuild his relationship with King Charles if his grandchildren could be involved in a visit. Harry had been clinging to the idea that Christmas might finally provide the breakthrough he’s been waiting for with the royal family. He imagined being able to spend some proper time with his father, having the children around their grandfather and perhaps starting to put years of bitterness behind them.
“He knows things can’t be fixed overnight, but he felt the festive season could have given everyone an excuse to lower their defenses. The thought of another Christmas passing without that happening is absolutely crushing for him, particularly because he feels time with his father is precious.”
The source added: “Meghan has a completely different outlook on the situation. As far as she’s concerned, they’ve spent far too long trying to win over people who have made very little effort to welcome them back. She doesn’t want to spend the holidays feeling uncomfortable, wondering whether they’re going to be invited somewhere or worrying about how they’ll be treated if they do turn up.
“In California, she can surround herself with people who genuinely want to celebrate with them, including her mother, and give the children a relaxed, happy Christmas. Harry understands why that appeals to her, and he doesn’t want to force her into a situation she dreads. But that doesn’t make it any easier for him to accept that the family reunion he was dreaming of probably isn’t going to happen.”
Complain all you want, but this sounds entirely plausible to me. Harry is Charlie Brown, and the Windsors are Lucy with the football. These are well-established patterns – Harry twisting himself in knots to cede power to the garbage royals, all in exchange for a vague promise (and not even that) of time and attention. I also believe Meghan is already tired of all of this BS. This perspective is incredibly valid: “In California, she can surround herself with people who genuinely want to celebrate with them, including her mother, and give the children a relaxed, happy Christmas.” It’s not just about Christmas either, it’s about this whole sorry endeavor. Why go out of your way to publicly beg to reconcile with people who don’t give a f–k about you, and don’t even extend a polite invitation to Christmas?
Photos courtesy of Meghan’s Instagram and Netflix.
Meghan is not going to put up with the Christmas “snubbing” bullshit the Barfs and the racist media trot out EVERY year.
Meghan told us less than two weeks ago where they were going to spend Christmas–with her mother! Why are we reacting to Radar spewing its vile nastiness about how Meghan feels (as if they know), when Meghan herself told us?
Meghan should not leave her children over the holiday so harry can take them to charles. A very bad idea. Its like when diana had to be separated from her children over the holiday after the separation from charles.
Who said the children weren’t going back to the US for Christmas?
There were stories about meghan staying home while harry brought the children. Speculation but with the bad attitudes of harrys birth family it was subject to speculation
The only story I’ve seen was that Meghan was supposed to be going back and forth to the US while the children and Harry stay in the UK. We haven’t seen that happening so I guess that wasn’t true and I haven’t seen any stories about Meghan going home for Christmas alone. If Meghan didn’t want to be in the UK she wouldn’t have moved there.
I don’t believe this story for one second.
Not that the Sussexes aren’t going back to Cali for XMas, but that somehow Harry and Meghan aren’t fully aligned on this, and that returning home at Christmas, and avoiding all the Windsor and press hysterical meltdowns, wasn’t the Sussexes plan all along.
Some seem to think Harry’s totally naive. I’m not so sure.
But wasn’t it already reported that they’re going to the US for Christmas?
It was so this is all just tabloid garbage.
Yep. It’s laying the groundwork for the upcoming stream of stories “Awful, controlling Meghan BANS brainwashed gullible weak Harry from seeing his SICK father on CHRISTMAS!”
Yes, that’s been reported for a while now and it makes sense to me. The kids can experience an English Christmas (the London lights, the christmas markets, all of that) before or after the actual holiday.
Does anyone really think Harry wanted to spend Christmas Eve at Sandringham while his kids stayed upstairs?
I don’t believe that, no. The kids are going to have fun doing Christmas type stuff in the uk and then doing the same in Cali. I’d imagine Harry and Meghan both are having a lot of fun sharing a Uk Christmas with his kids as well as just the Uk in general.
Yeah, look, we went to London two years ago for the week between christmas and new years and it was AMAZING. London at christmas is just beautiful and magical. and I can only imagine how it is in the rest of England. (and yes i love christmas in general and my area goes all out, etc – but this was still different.) so I can absolutely see Harry wanting his kids to experience that and then going to Montecito to spend christmas day in their matching xmas PJs.
Yes, but apparently we’ve all decided that any tabloid nonsense that paints Harry as a dipshit is correct because vibes or something.
Perfectly said, and worthy of being repeated every single time the media reports that Meghan is “heartbroken” or that Harry “desperately” something or other.
Yes! And thank you! We all knew the Sussexes were spending Christmas with Meghan’s mother–and Doria gets to pick where. And yes, Harry is getting lots of therapy, but to deconstruct from his upbringing of neglect and scapegoating takes a life time. Let’s not pile onto the rota rat crap.
This has entire fiasco has made it clear to me: Harry is optimistic and naive to the point of genuine stupidity.
Oh! Almost like that they’re reviving that tabloid story that has floated around for years that Harry isn’t bright.
And here you are, believing tabloid rumors and calling Harry stupid.
Pot… Kettle, perhaps?
Going back to the UK was stupid. Full stop.
We know who the truly stupid are and it’s not Harry.
Pot…kettle, indeed.
Agree. Not literal stupidity but a huge blind spot regarding his birth family. And this isn’t coming from the tabloids— it’s from H’s own words and actions. Because he won’t stop saying in public what his dad and brother won’t give him the chance to say in private— that his desire for reconciliation with them (trash people though they are) is motivating everything right now. He’s definitely Charlie Brown with Lucy & the football.
This is another non story as the Sussexes confirmed last September that they plan to spend school breaks either in the US or in Portugal. School breaks include Christmas.
Although Harry confirmed many years ago and recently that reconciliation was important for him, their plans clearly shows that if this happen, it won’t be at the expense of his own family.
The political situation in the US is not the best, but Harry have said it more than once that he is very happy in the US. They are implemented the next stage of their life which was part time in the UK and part time out… and thriving at both places.
Can you link to the statement they gave about this? I feel like that was an assumption people made, not an announcement from their team, but I’d love to know if I’m wrong.
Not a fan of People magazine, but it seems like a go-to media source for the Sussexes. Several articles there address the UK move. The one specifically about the Christmas plans is at https://people.com/meghan-markle-prince-harry-plan-spend-christmas-doria-ragland-not-royal-family-12169038
This article is most probably made up but I feel it’s an accurate read. Harry has shown time and time again that he wants to spend time with Charles and that he wants his children around Charles. Meghan has no time for royal bullshit, she’s already cut off one toxic Dad and she knows the value of people who truly want to support you. She loves Harry but she knows how to set boundaries.
Charles may say he will spend time with the Sussex children but he could back out at the same time. I think he spends time with Camilla and her grandchildren.
It saddens me to see us referencing Radaronline because we may share the same opinion this site expresses, especially When we all know the kind of site it is. Because someone agrees with you, it does not make the sourcing correct. I do believe Meghan would prefer to spend Christmas in California. (I believe), my opinion. Makes sense because this is her home country and for the past 6 years, they appeared to have a scenic Christmas there surrounded by family and friends. I also wish she does go home for Christmas, she must miss her mom who because such an intregal part of her life once she became a mom.
Archie and Lili should be with Doria at Christmas.
Seems like Harry is now getting the ‘Matt Damon’ treatment.
The Sussex PR Team has responded to the “where are they spending Christmas” stories. This Radar article is click bait.
I think so many people took Prince Harry’s response to the question do you want a reconciliation the wrong way. Would he like to reconcile with his cancer stricken father? Yes, but that doesn’t mean he is going to go around begging for it. The couple has already stated they aren’t writing up any apologies to the family. It was a simple idyllic response to a simple question. Harry also mentioned many reasons why they came back to the UK family (not just the windsors), friends, the kids getting to know more of their British culture and more…but that always gets looked over for the drama. As for staying in the UK for Christmas I doubt that either of them would go to Sandringham with the kids…they would be shipped off to a nursery with a bunch of strangers and the couple would spend their holiday in a viper’s nest….oh so festive.
Given the children would get a month off around Christmas that seems like the perfect time to go back to California spend time with their caring grandparent and catching up with friends.
In press for Spare he acknowledged that the book was him begging to be understood by his father and brother so he could be back in their dysfunctional fold. He thought (I imagine his co-author knew otherwise) that if they were just forced to hear his perspective, all would be well. He wasn’t telling his story just to have his side out there— it was to make the Windsors understand and love him again. He won’t apologize because he (correctly) doesn’t think he did anything wrong, but it’s delusional to think they will come around if he keeps explaining things (especially through statements for public consumption, but they leave him no choice on that front).
Can you link where he was begging to be back on the fold because I read everything I saw at the time and that wasn’t his narrative.
About the only thing that rings true to me here is the part where “they’ve spent far too long trying to win over people who have made very little effort to welcome them back.” But do I think that radar has sources that are reporting this? I do not.
I feel like there’s a weird effort here to fall back on the old “Harry is stupid” trope that the Windsors pushed for years. Harry is not Charlie Brown, and he’s not thick. Stubborn, sure, but I don’t think he’s so naive as presented here. Undoubtedly, William will rage and Charles will play the victim and try his best to play his sons against one another, but Harry seems to have arrived despite these things, not because of them.
Also, Meghan is no more of a hostage in the Cotswalds than Harry was in Montecito. They obviously made this decision together and so far, it seems to be working for them.
What sources do they need other than Harry’s own interviews regarding his desires vis a vis his family?
Wanting a relationship with his only surviving parent doesn’t mean that Harry is stupid, or Charlie Brown, or thick. It means he’s human. And I thought it was clear in spare that while he had a lot of grace and forgiveness for his father, he also saw him pretty clearly. And he definitley sees William clearly.
I don’t think Harry is stupid and I don’t think Meghan is a hostage. Tina Brown will be thrilled that this narrative of Harry is continuing though. As well as many in the RF and the rota.
Sussex “fans” are doing the rf and bm work for them.
Believing everything the bm says just shows who the dummies really are. I wonder why any of these people followed the sussexes at all?
If it’s true that Harry is expecting reconciliation with ANY of the BRF, I pity him. It’s a sad trombone version of “He’s Just Not That Into You.” I dunno, he doesn’t seem THAT dumb to me! But maybe he is. Though how could he know what they did to his MOTHER and his WIFE and expect any crumbs AT ALL. Is he really that reckless and masochistic? Does he really value the regard of a bunch of institutionalized losers over the safety and well-being of his children and Meghan? Someday we may know, but right now it’s a still a blank mystery.
It might be fun spending Xmas in England with the Spensers, if Doria flies to the UK. Also, H & fam spending Xmas there will make Charles look cold for snubbing his grandkids at Xmas!
One thing that Harry & Meghan has showcased over the years…is that they will be together & alright …which is what I’ve enjoyed the MOST about them…
Is Harry really as one-dimensional as he’s being painted by both sides now? He comes from a dishonorable family and is trying to live as an honorable man.
Well put, @paintybox!
This site, and some commenters, seems determined to paint Harry as selfish, naive, and indeed pathetic for “dragging” his family to the UK, and giving credence to media sources, no matter how unreliable or trashy if they expound this point of view. I think that Harry’s comments about reconciliation have been taken way out of context. I think many things that Harry has said are ignored to high-light something that some have determined to believe about the Sussex move. This borders somewhat on what tabloids do, does it not? Getting back to Christmas, Sandringham sounds more like an endurance test rather than a celebration. Why wouldn’t they want to go home to Montecito where Meghan has already established family traditions for Christmas? Much as Harry might enjoy going back to a big jolly Christmas with extended family and cousins, he is not able to provide that for his own little family. And it’s not his granny’s Christmas. Imagine how warm and fun Christmas would be with Charles and Camilla. Merry Christmas, Montecito! Perhaps sometime in the future, the Sussexes can experience Christmas in the Cotswolds, but I should imagine that Charles would have to be dead, and William has cancelled having any relatives to celebrate Christmas. When Middleton/Windsor Christmases are implemented, then Sussex Christmases can be enjoyed in peace with family and friends of choice.