It’s been clear to me since August that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s communications team has been employing a new media strategy. That strategy includes numerous briefings to favored media outlets like People Magazine, the Telegraph and Hello. For months now, those outlets have run curiously sourced stories which turn out to be straight from Team Sussex’s comms team. There’s some consternation about this among Sussex supporters, but I welcome the change, because for five-plus years, their comms strategy was really awful. All of which to say, Team Sussex has been keeping certain outlets updated on their plans for the coming months, including certain changes in plans. For the past month, we’ve heard that the Sussexes would spend Christmas in Montecito, with Doria Ragland, their first time back in California as a family since August. Turns out, those plans are probably changing.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be set for their first Christmas in the UK in eight years, HELLO! can reveal. The Sussexes hope to spend the holidays with the Duchess’s mother, Doria Ragland, with any potential plans depending on what she decides to do.
While previous reports suggested they could be returning to Montecito in California, where they spent the last six years after stepping down as senior working royals, HELLO! understands they are making early plans for a UK Christmas with Doria.
However, it’s believed that their plans are still unconfirmed.
They’re also not expected to spend the festive season with the royal family, with a source previously telling The Times that they would find it “too awkward and too difficult,” adding that they’re not expecting an invitation.
HELLO!’s Royal Editor, Emily Nash, previously told A Right Royal Podcast that spending Christmas with Doria was “always the plan”.
Thanksgiving comes at the end of November, but the couple’s children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, will be expected to attend school that week.
It’s also expected that Harry and Meghan will mark the weekend’s Remembrance events privately, and will not join the rest of the royal family at the Cenotaph in London.
Yeah, they’re saying that it’s dependent on Doria and whether she’s okay with traveling to the UK. And if she isn’t? I hope they go back to Montecito. But I’d be willing to bet that Doria will be convinced and that Harry is the one driving this. My guess is that he’s nostalgic for “a British Christmas,” but not necessarily a royal Christmas. That being said, if Harry’s father made some noise about inviting the Sussexes to Sandringham, I wonder what the message from Team Sussex would be? The stuff about Remembrance is coming from Team Sussex too, Harry wants his father and brother to know that he’s not going to turn up at the Cenotaph. I bet he does something public around Remembrance though.
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This makes sense to me. I am American obviously but Christmas in London is gorgeous and magical. (I can’t speak to the rest of England but I’m sure it’s similar). If this move is about the kids “experiencing British life” then the Christmas season is part of that. But I don’t think they’re going to sacrifice time with Doria for that. So my guess is she either comes over for the holiday or they decide to go back to CA.
They won’t be at sandringham on Christmas Day but I could see them going there at some point during the holidays if they’re invited. But nothing public.
They should do a church walk. Lol.
Lmaooooo stawpppppp
Hate to say it but Harry’s ongoing nonsense has me making a switch from Team Sussex to Team Meghan. If he gets her and the kids roped into anything royal-adjacent I’m out.
I can absolutely understand why Harry is nostalgic for a country, UK type Christmas. It’s a wonderful time of the year over here – I love it, and it’s so special with young children or grandchildren. I hope they manage to navigate the time between now and Christmas, including Thanksgiving, in peace. They have had so much to deal with, particularly poor, lovely Meghan. Thank goodness they’re a strong couple and have each other for support. Meghan will of course want Doria here – there’s no-one like your mum.
Good that their pr has pre-empted all the negative nonsense about will they or won’t they get a Sandringham invitation. Let’s leave that to the others, who are lookingly increasingly boring and unattractive these days,apart from obviously the children.
Hello has been very shady with their posts on Twitter. I seriously hope they are not briefing them.
I always figured that this would be the plan…it would be lovely for them to have family Christmas at Althrop where Doria can truly get to know the “good side” of Harry’s family while enjoying a MAGNIFICENT English Christmas 🎄…then maybe go over to Portugal too
I did enjoy Christmases in England, so I can see the appeal. I hope this is Harry just getting it all out of his system all at once.
Maximize the England experiment, then return to America where — to borrow from Ronald Reagan, tee-hee — it’s morning again.
Blue wave, baby! 🌊
Honestly, I would love for the children to experience Christmas in Britain. I totally understand why Harry would want this. He is, of course, British through and through. He has always said how much he loves his country, and I don’t see why a visit should necessarily put so much strain on Meghan. They have been in California for the past six years, and I am sure she understands his longing for a British Christmas.
I do wonder, though, when they will start taking their children out and about and allowing them to experience more of the world. They can’t keep them sheltered forever.
I guess it all comes down to security being granted. It would be a lovely, rather Christmassy gesture if RAVEC could make that happen before the holidays. After all, Christmas is supposed to be a time for family, goodwill and togetherness.
Their children are out and about. The Sussexes simply don’t share it with the public.
Just came to say that Doria is such a gorgeous woman. Her healthy lifestyle really shows. Her eyes are so sad in the pictures in the orange sweater, but so beautiful. She reminds me of an older Lisa Lopes from TLC.
I’m reading your comment just as Waterfalls came on the radio
Whatever their plans are, I hope the family has a joyful Christmas either here or in Montecito.
One thing this move will achieve beyond any doubt is that Charles doesn’t care at all about the Sussexes, the stories pushing the narrative that he “wants a relationship with Archie and Lilibet” has been pure PR and a tool for the palace to paint him as a sad grandpa. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t see them at all this year.
I’m really disliking this. I know it’s not my place, not my life, etc. but God this whole thing really has me side eyeing Harry. I can’t believe he’s this selfish about wanting everything “British” and dragging his wife and kids (and now his MIL) in danger for his own selfishness. You all know this is Harry doing and Harry’s only and he had to convince Meghan, I bet he wore her down until she said yes. She should have told him to kick rocks and go play British Prince without her, this isn’t 2020 anymore. I hope he gets this out of his system before something terrible happens to Meghan, the kids and now Doria.
Southern California is one of the least festive places to spend Christmas and I can see wanting to be in England. However, and this is especially true for young children, the holidays are best enjoyed outdoors in crisp weather.
When you mean least festive do you mean that there’s no snow? Meghan grew up in LA it would have been the only Christmases she knew until she moved to Toronto.
Meghan went to university in Chicago. She knew more than Californian sunshine at Christmas.
People tend to forget that Meghan loves England. She even loved Christmas at Sandringham! I wish people would stop blaming Harry, Meghan has agency and was fully on board with moving to England. The children will love the Christmas markets, the lights, and a trip to London. Doria certainly will want to see how they live, and enjoy the holidays in England.
Hopefully next year we won’t have the same discussion because they moved back to Montecito.
Meghan may have known a nice blustery winter in Chicago, but most universities are closed from mid Dec to after New Years
I don’t think the media is being briefed by the Sussexes regarding their Christmas plans. The whole article reads like speculation covering all their bases. I mean theoretically, the Sussexes could fly home to California for Christmas, or fly to Portugal, or spend it in the UK. This is just another example of the tabs throwing out various stories and hoping one of them is true.
They’re already in the uk. Might as well spend Christmas there.
If Doria comes to Salt Island, perhaps the family will do XMas with the Spencer’s at Althorp!
The only British Christmas Harry knows is a royal Christmas so if he’s nostalgic about that it means he wants to go to Sandringham. I’m not sure why Hello is posting this. I think it has been already established that where Harry and Meghan spend Christmas will be dependant on Doria. So if she’s willing to go to the UK they will spend it there if not they will go back to Montecito. People had an article a few weeks ago that Meghan was already making plans for when they go back to the US for Christmas so it’s really puzzling that Hello is mudding the waters like this. I get it they’re looking for clicks but still it’s irritating that they’re doing this.
Well it’s not like he spent the month of December holed up at sandringham.
Y’all read the article. Its wriiien by a liar royal rota but Emily Nash says the Sussex’s have not said they are spending Xmas there. She’s speculating & covering her butt by using Doria as excuse if they go home to California.
Since the kids will be at school during American Thanksgiving, logistically it makes sense for Doria to come to the UK so they can be together. We do not know, maybe she already joined them in Portugal during the recent school break. It is more than possible Meghan wanted her mom near during her stressful days.
I know some Meghan fans want them to go back to Montecito but logistically, and if Doria is already in the UK for Thanksgiving, it makes sense to spend Christmas in their new Costwolds home. Montecito is safely closed for a long period of time. Maybe Meghan, after what she has been through recently, doesn’t feel like reopening the house, stock food and decorate only to close everything up again. Maybe they are making things easier on Meghan by staying in the UK. All I am saying is every Sussex decision shouldn’t be explained by evil Harry tormenting his wife and kids because he is homesick.
Hope they have a great Christmas with the kids and Doria. Spencers will also be part of their holiday if they stay.
As far as I recall, they mentioned that they would spend the holidays in Montecito, unless Doria agreed to—or was able to—come to England. In short, they were leaning toward England from the start, but remained flexible, as the location depended on Doria. That’s a beautiful sentiment—it’s the people, the ones gathered around the table, who truly make the holidays, not the address itself.
I hope Doria does come to England, as it would give the Sussexes more time for all the pre-holiday preparations—the festivities, decorating the house, and so on—which can sometimes be even more exciting than the holidays themselves!
Their Christmas plans are their business and don’t think a magazine/paper needs to speculate about it. No one is thinking it’s at Sandringham, so why mention it at all?