As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy a quiet Christmas in the USA away from the Royal Family, a royal expert has revealed the one thing Harry will definitely NOT miss about Christmas with his family - and it’s not what you might think.
There's been a whole host of speculation about whether or not Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with their two young children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would join the royals for Christmas this year. With the day upon us, it seems that they won't be.
Instead, the family-of-four are enjoying a quiet celebration together with Meghan's mum, Doria Ragland, at their comfy Montecito home in LA. And while the royals exchange gag gifts and tuck into their incredibly old-fashioned Christmas dinner that definitely isn’t for everyone, one royal expert has shared the family tradition Harry is relieved he won't have to be part of this year.
For all the feuding and upset that's plagued the royals since the release of Harry's memoir Spare, his and Meghan's Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, and most recently, Omid Scobie's scathing book Endgame, it's surprisingly not the icy atmosphere Harry is most thankful to avoid. It's actually the family's chilly Christmas day walk.
"In all honesty, as he dons a pair of shorts, and romps around in the Californian Christmas sunshine with his kids, I’m not sure he will miss being wrapped up in winter coats and being 'on parade' on the walk to church at Sandringham," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine.
But while he's enjoying the envious sunshine of the USA's West Coast, Bond believes Harry will be reminiscing over family Christmases gone by. "Christmas can be a deeply emotional time for many people - especially when there is a family rift.
"So I’m sure Harry will have a thought or two for his family back home and hopefully he will repeat his birthday phone call to his Pa with a Christmas call - although Omid Scobie’s book may have undone the progress that was made then."
For the royals braving the cold weather for this year's annual Christmas day walk, as always, coats and hats will be a staple. Each year, as royals from King Charles to Princess Charlotte make their way to St. Mary Magdalene Church, their outfit choices and sweet interactions with well-wishers lining their route make headline news and the clothes and jewellery they opt to wear sell out in mere minutes.
Last year, Kate Middleton stepped out in a stunning khaki Alexander McQueen coat with an olive green Philip Treacy hat, and accessorised with a pair of £100 gold earrings from the french brand Sezane that were reportedly a gift from her husband, Prince William.
