If you remember, I was always suspicious of the “six week holiday” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It’s not that I thought they were undeserving of some time off – they are deserving – it’s just that I found the idea of Harry and Meghan jetting off somewhere for six weeks during the royals’ busy season to be… an odd choice. Plus, we never really got a hard confirmation from the Sussexes’ office that it was for sure going to be six weeks, they just confirmed it was going to be a break. Then Omid Scobie confirmed an event for Harry on November 17th and he also said that he never reported “six weeks” either. But still, royal reporters were clinging to the “six weeks” story like Duchess Kate clings to buttons & tassels. So they have a new version of it, given that Harry will still be in town on the 17th: now Harry and Meghan are planning to spend Christmas in LA with Doria Ragland.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might choose to spend Christmas in the US with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland rather than with the Queen at Sandringham, Hello! magazine has reported. Meghan Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, will soon take a six-week break from royal duties, at least part of which will be spent in the US. Hello! magazine reports that the couple may choose to stay on for Christmas as well, instead of jetting back to the UK for the traditional festivities on the Queen’s Norfolk estate.
This will be their first Christmas as a family-of-three following the birth of Archie Mounbatten-Windsor in May.
My honest-to-God theory is that the “six weeks” thing came from either bitchy, shady Buckingham Palace courtiers OR from the brain trust at Kensington Palace. Someone is clearly baiting the royal commentators to attack the Sussexes for being too American/not Windsory enough, as if Christmas Chutney and German Grimaces are something that must be endured every year if one has a royal title. If I may wear my tin-foil hat for a moment, I have an addendum to this theory: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tend to spend one year with the Windsors and then the next year, they’ll do a Middleton Christmas in Bucklebury. I think the Cambridges want to do a Bucklebury Christmas and this leak about the Sussexes’ “LA Christmas” came from Kensington Palace, as a way to deflect from the eventual news that the Cambridges won’t spend Christmas at Sandringham either. Basically, we’ll see.
My guess is still that the Sussexes are spending Thanksgiving in LA, then they’ll return to England in December and carry out events and such.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.
More nonsense.
Thanksgiving in LA and Xmas pap walk in Sandringham as per usual….
@Mignionette, you are so correct: Nothing but MORE F*@KING NONSENSE.
There is no way the Sussexes will not the spend Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham unless they are in a grave or hospitalized.
This is my thought as well.
@Mignionette
More nonsense indeed. The BRF are experts at diverting attention from the real story with rubbish, sparkly distractions. They pump out trash about the Sussexes to divert attention from Andrew the paedo, just like Kate wore that sparkly headband (which I like! 🤭😳) to distract from the fact that she’s had some sort of eyebrow raising procedure.
And it has worked to perfection. Andy must have thanked his lucky stars when a biracial american divorcee former actress joined la familia real.
He must have rubbed his hands in glee at the permutations of how many ways they could bury her to save him.
Here’s to you Universe – whatever you have aiming it at Andy right now would be great…
I think it’s just botox. Eyebrows always go wonky at first with a fresh dose of botox once you’ve passed the threshold (she has) of subtlety.
@Mignonette you’re right, Andrew was likely more thrilled than Harry. I know people say this a lot. but in regard to Andrew, I really mean it — I hope there’s a special place in hell for him. Since he’s going to evade all consequences here on earth. Put him next to Donald.
I can see them do perhaps, one year with the royal and then the following year in LA. Alternating each year.
Oh, but the consequences! You know “The Firm” and the British tabs would never put up with even one Christmas in LA.
Poor Meghan. Nothing is normal about her situation. She’s taking it like a trooper (I think), even though she has much more important things to attend to-her young family.
@Anna I can too. And I think they should spend Christmas with Doria. Meghan has learned by now that they’re going to trash her no matter WHAT, so they may as well just do whatever makes them happy.
This is a situation the BRF hasn’t dealt with before (I don’t think). Meghan is Doria’s only child and Archie is her only grandchild and she doesn’t live close by like the Middletons do or how the Spencers did. They’re so rigid with all of their ridiculous “protocols” but they’re going to have to learn they need to compromise sometimes. And luckily Harry and Meghan have the backbone to stand up for themselves.
I love how everything is always insisting, “But they’re only MINOR royals! They’re not that important!” when it comes to something like seating arrangements, but if they’re not there for Xmas they’ll be bashed because it’s of the utmost importance that they be there with the Queen. Which is it? SMH
It would be a lot easier and more private if Doria spent Christmas in the UK.
They include Sophie’s widowed father in the family gathering, so they have dealt with this before.
@ BOOKWORM Why would Doria want to break bread with people who used her daughter and allowed her to be abused to take attention away from the pedo?
@Bookworm I think they’re spending Thanksgiving in LA so that Doria get’s to actually see them. I also get the sense Doria wanted nothing to do with Sandringham and I don’t blame her.
This is Archie’s first christmas so this was likely the compromise until Meg is not so visible and the press tire of their new play thing they love to maul.
@Bookworm I meant they haven’t dealt with it before in that Doria is thousands and thousands of miles away. Sophie’s father isn’t. Also, Doria has a job and we don’t know how much time she can take off. I have no idea what Sophie’s father’s situation is.
If I were Doria I wouldn’t want to be near any of these people who’ve treated her daughter this way. And I certainly wouldn’t want to spend Christmas with Andrew.
If Doria didn’t want to spend Christmas Day with the royals, which is the only day they really do the pap walk? She could stay at Frogmore and be joined by the Sussex family later.
Wow. Look at that picture of William leaning towards Kate and actually looking engaged. Honestly, it’s nice to see even though it looks like they might be smirking at something.
Why can’t he do that more?.
Meghan’s appearance has been a fantastic boost to the Cambridge marriage.
Kate must thank her lucky stars every day for her new human shield who has also managed to get her husband to actually acknowledge her existence.
Lol @ human shield. It’s funny, but also quite sad.
That picture cracks me up. William is unbelievably unattractive. The years have NOT been good to him in the appearance department. And Kate looks comical there, too. That headband and horrible eye makeup are atrocious. Can’t believe she walked out of the house looking that garish.
The funny thing is I don’t even necessarily think he’s engaging with Kate per se in that picture. He’s looking at something on the stage/beyond where they are. At least that’s what it seems like to me.
Maybe there is a Rose bush in the background?
They are both looking at the speaker and laughing.
I hope they do spend Christmas elsewhere- whether it’s LA or in their private home. Spending the holidays with the queen and all the horrible, hateful people that surround her sounds horrible and I wouldn’t do it either. They don’t owe her anything at this point.
@RUNCMC me too. And I hope that no matter where they are, that if she is pregnant, they announce it on Christmas Eve so that’s all anyone’s talking about 🙃
(I swear I’m not petty like this IRL! But this family…)
I agree, Christmas in sunny California with Doria sounds a million times better than the grim scene at Sandringham.
@Tourmaline: every description I’ve ever heard of Christmas at Sandringham has made it sound so joyless!
Ive been to Sandringham at Christmas, it is amazing, much nicer than “sunny” california which seems to be mostly on fire.
I think you’re bang on the money. I’m expecting a 10 day to 2 week thanksgiving holiday, and then back for Royal Christmas season.
Other than her mother, is Meghan close to her other relatives? I wouldn’t be surprised if her mother came to England for Christmas.
Well her father’s side as we know are horrible and she is her mother’s only child don’t about any aunts, uncle s or cousins from Dorias side. Anyways there are some people especially as they get older they love to spend more time with their friends than families. Her friends seem tight so she might spend with them and her mother in US.
Doria has two half-brothers and a half-sister.
One half-brother was at the wedding with his mother, the other half-brother did an interview about Meghan and then whine when he was not invited to the wedding. he also sold or gave the dailyfail photos, one with with Doria holding a new born Meghan, not a photo for the public.
she at least has an uncle on her mom’s side (i believe her mom’s half-brother) who sold a bunch of family photos to the DM once, but he hasn’t sold any photos or stories since. but i doubt she’s close to him or his family if they felt comfortable doing that to her.
The Queen is almost as bad as Samantha Markle at this point. If not worse, not only for allowing this to go on but because part of the reason she’s letting it go on is because of Andrew. She was basically Samantha’s enabler.
The Queen could have stopped — or at the very least, limited — the public smearing of Meghan, and didn’t, so I wouldn’t want to spend Christmas with her either if i were Meghan or Harry.
I agree. Given what Omid said, I think they’ll go to LA for a few weeks, and be back in the UK well before Christmas. I think Meghan knows she would catch all sorts of hell in the press of she’s didn’t do a Norfolk Christmas. Not that she should, of course.
The Cams are the only royals who’ve ever skipped, right? I doubt the Sussexes will dare. I think it’s more likely that Kaiser’s right, and the Cams are paving the way for a no show…probably blaming the feud with H and M.
Is it true that Bill & Cathy prefer to spend Christmas with the Middleton’s rather than at their own Norfolk home Anmer Hall?
They do. But the Mids have been known to move en masse to Anmer as well, staying with the Cams. Perhaps with Pip married with a child it might be more crowded, but this way W&K can do both, a bit of an “in your face” to M&H, and “show you your place” in things.
Sandringham will be bursting as is with all the family, incl. Bea with her new, shady financé (and maybe the kid), Eug & her hub; I don’t think they’d have to worry about being too close to W&K, except for the perp…er, “pap” walk to and from church for the family service.
Then again, with Pedo there, I’d run for the hills. I wouldn’t want to be caught in ANY pap shot with him in the frame!
BayTampaBay- too many Rose bushes at Amner. Christmas requires Poinsettias. 😉
I think there is a cottage at Sandringham called Wood Farm that can easily house a family.
@Rapunzel, Thanks for the tidbit! Would love some “REAL” gossip to discuss as opposed to the housing & accommodation arrangements of the Windsors.
I thought I read somewhere that QEII now spends Christmas at Windsor Castle instead of Sandringham. Do we know for sure that QEII will be at Sandringham for the Christmas Holiday?
I can’t imagine the Queen would ever not do Christmas at Sandringham. If nothing else, she lives for tradition. Tradition is literally the only thing keeping her in place.
philip has been living at wood farm since he retired, so there may not be much room there anymore
Yeah, I was wondering also about Camilla, she must not spend the entire ‘festive period’ at Sandringham because she has her own family with two grown children and several grandchildren. She may take off on Boxing Day to spend time with them.
Royal Christmas was at Windsor Castle, not Sandringham, for much of the 1960’s-1980s. https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018091662275/why-the-queen-and-royals-stopped-celebrating-christmas-windsor-castle/
It should be taken into account that unlike the other senior royal in-laws Meghan is not from the UK and it should be perfectly understandable if she chooses to spend at least some holidays in America. It might be feasible for Royals to spend Christmas in Sandringham and Boxing Day somewhere else in England but it’s not feasible for her to split things up that way, can’t travel back and forth from California to England in a short time window.
Hope they spend Christmas away from the leeches. The royal family doesnt deserve them.
Will & Kate have spent Christmas day away from The Queen. Why not do it in LA with Doria and then visit the Queen on Boxing Day? Or the day after?
The flight from LA to London would cost them a day, fyi. If the spent Christmas with Doria, the earliest they’d get back is the 27th, if they left the morning after.
I was going to say… it’s a 13 hr. flight from LA to London (been there, done that lol). Then they’d have to heli to Sandringham after that. Add a 6 month old to the mix, and even if they left after Christmas breakfast, it’d be an insane trip for Archie, to try and make it to Boxing Day on time.
Yeah, the flight time between London and LA is likely the reason that Meghan’s baby shower was in New York and not LA. It’s only a 4-5 hour flight from London to New York and the same travel time from LA to New York. And about a hour less travel time between Chicago and New York. It was just less travel time for everyone to meet up in NYC than anywhere further west, especially LA.
If Meghan, Harry and Archie come to LA for Thanksgiving, they’ll be flying for at least 12-13 hours, and that’s just assuming there is no layover time. But at least they would have a whole week or so of downtime before they’d have to fly back. They’d never make it to Sandringham for any time around Christmas if they flew to LA first.
I’ve learned over the years that people who don’t live in the US tend to not really get how big it is, and the travel time it takes to get anywhere. Especially to Europe/Asia if you are flying over from the opposite-side coast.
Who cares where any of these people spend the holidays?
As long as they do not come to my house, I must agree with you.
LOL, same.
Exactly, lol! I’d like to spend my Christmas in Hawaii on the beach!
Whatever Meghan does will be wrong. Unlike Prince Andrew who can be a rapist and still have a major part in the service on Monday. Wasn’t he laying a wreath? Meghan and Harry should do whatever they want too and say F it.
Better than decking the halls with a pedo.
“Decking the halls with a pedo!!” Comment of the week right here.
To mangle some British slang – they could deck the pedo in the hall.
I would love them to skip but they’d be crucified either though others have done so. Thanksgiving in LA and Christmas with the old bat and her pedo son is probably the plan.
“Might choose to”
Hello doesn’t know anything.
Neither does The Tatler!
Tatler knows whatever W&K decide to tell their Uni classmate (the new editor).
nota, True but Tatler makes so many historical mistakes with name and dates that I just have to laugh. I only go their site to look at the gorgeous pictures.
I don’t think the Cambridges will miss Sandringham Christmas this year and jeopardize all the undeserved wonderful press they’ve been getting.
Calling it – Christmas at Sandringham and Thanksgiving with Doria – and the RAGLANDS. The RRs will have a meltdown: Archie meets his African American family who for the most part kept their mouths shut while the Markle vampires come out of their crypts to complain about Bad Grandpa didn’t get to see Archie. Visit to see Ashley Hale (Scammy’s daughter I know not her fault) as a bonus since Meghan is close to her. Mic drop moment – it comes out Ashley and some Raglands did attended the wedding and Ashley or a Ragland is a godparent to Archie. They were kept out the fray because of the madness. Results: British media looks incompetent for not doing basic fact checking and drive home the point the Markles are cut out because of their greed, vindictiveness and stupidity
As much as I’d miss seeing Harry and Meghan on Christmas morning, I do wish that they would spend the day with Doria either in the States or at Frogmore. After the year they’ve had, having a relaxing Christmas without the 5-7 costume changes or trying to make nice to a family that has totally let them down, would be just the thing for the Sussexes. All that being said, I realize that the age of the Queen and Prince Phillip make it unlikely to happen. I can’t even imagine the press if the Sussexes skipped Christmas and then something happened to either the Queen or PP sometime during the next year.
Where is my comment?
I doubt they’d skip Sandringham this year+ I see Meghan coming back for engagements with mayhew & other patronages or even a visit to a shelter with Harry.
IMO It’ll be Thanksgiving in the US and Christmas in England for Harry and Meghan if they come to the US at all during the holidays. Not that Christmas isn’t a big thing here in the US, but Thanksgiving tends to be the holiday where you will actually travel to visit family much more than Christmas is. Usually because you did the family travel for Thanksgiving and just don’t have the time off work/money/inclination to turn around and travel to see family *again* just 3 weeks later for Christmas after having just seen them for Thanksgiving. So it’s just kinda ingrained in us here in the US to see family for Thanksgiving before Christmas. Meghan’s now defunt instagram always showed her spending time with her family during Thanksgiving too, whereas not so much Christmas. Just personally, any extended family we ever saw in my family during the holidays was during Thanksgiving, never Christmas.
So yeah, I think this idea that they’d spend 6 weeks in LA for Christmas likely comes from either some BP courtier or KP person who doesn’t understand that little quirk about Americans and the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. Because seriously, when I read that headline about them spending 6 weeks in LA for Christmas (and I live in the LA area btw) my first thought was – “Why? Are they going to stay though New Years or something?”
Thanksgiving is the last week of November this year, which put it pretty late, but way after Harry’s Nov 17th engagement. They can pop over here on Nov 24th and leave and be back in London by the 1st of December. And that’s just assuming they come over for a full week, and not just four days or something.
But, then again, maybe Doria and others of Meghan’s family/friends will just fly over to London for Thanksgiving and all this talk about her and Harry going somewhere is just BS speculation and nobody really knows anything. *shrug*
The Cambridges were with the Middletons in 2012 and 2016& Zara and Mike were in New Zealand last year.
The Sun is ridiculous& is reporting they won’t be at Sandringham but then speculates they may be there or in like 4 other possible locations. In summary they don’t know the Sussexes plans& trying to cover every scenario. Also the “mental health six week break” stories are coming off false so they are probably spinning.
I hear you Morrigan & gather that Thanksgiving is more of a family holiday in the US as not every state has much vacation time from work at Christmas as they do for thanksgiving so your post makes sense. If they are away soon I see them back in the UK in time for usual pre Christmas staff parties etc& possibly for a few end of year engagements.
In the US, most people get off from work for both Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) and that Friday (unless you work retail or at a bank and so have to work for Black Friday), without having to request that Thursday or Friday off. So that means you get a built-in 4 day weekend automatically wherever you work.
And honestly? That Wednesday right before Thanksgiving is usually a down-time when it comes to work and a lot of places will just close down business early. It can usually be easy to arrange to leave early, or not come in at all, and because of this that Wednesday is pretty much the busiest travel day of the year here in the US – because that is usually the earliest most people can leave off work and travel for Thanksgiving if they are going to visit anyone for it.
Christmas OTOH? Christmas Eve is a short work day, but most people have to go right back to work the day after Christmas (we don’t call it Boxing Day in the US. Frankly, most people in the US have no clue what Boxing Day is if we ever hear about it). This is likely because Christmas can fall on any day of the week, so unless it’s on a Thursday, (meaning then a lot of workplaces will usually just throw in Friday as a built-in day off as well) no one gets any significant time off, unless they take their 2-3 week vacation time during that time. Whereas Thanksgiving is ALWAYS on the 4th Thursday in November. So there is always a built-in 4-day weekend built into the calendar for us. Much easier to plan to see family with that built-in time off.