Prince Harry & Meghan Marked 'Quiet' Christmas At Home Away From Royal Family's Sandringham Celebration

Prince Harryand Meghan Markle reportedly spent Christmas at their California home, absent from Sandringham's royal celebrations with King Charles and other family members.

The Duchess of Sussex recently described their U.S. holiday as intimate and festive, noting how much she loves the festive season.

Meanwhile, The King's annual Christmas speech, which highlighted family unity and public service, notably omitted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Harry and Meghan reportedly spent the holiday at their home in California, as they received no invitation to Sandringham, where Prince William and Kate Middleton honored a royal tradition by celebrating Christmas Day alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, and other senior royals.

However, during a recent interview with Marie Claire, Meghan shared insights into the family's "low-key" holiday celebrations in the U.S.

"We're always making sure we have something to do," she said. "Like any other family, you spend time having a great meal and then what do you do? Play games, all the same stuff, someone brings a guitar - fun."

Meghan also highlighted their practice of making "room at your table for your friends who don't have family," recalling how Gloria Steinem once joined them for Thanksgiving.

The duchess emphasized the importance of creating magical memories for their children, Archie and Lilibet, by embracing festive traditions such as leaving out carrots for Santa's reindeer.

Meanwhile, Kate charmed crowds in the UK as she attended the Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. She walked hand-in-hand with William and their children, Prince Louis, 6, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince George, 11.

According to the Daily Mail, Charles and Camilla accompanied the family, though Prince Andrew was noticeably absent. He is reportedly keeping a low profile following controversies surrounding his ties to a suspected Chinese spy.

During their celebrations, the royal family exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve, continuing their German-inspired tradition of giving each other quirky and inexpensive presents instead of extravagant ones.

One memorable example was when William gifted the late Queen Elizabeth a pair of slippers featuring her face.

Although they were not invited to Sandringham this year, Harry and Meghan used to join the royal family there for the holiday festivities.

In 2017, Meghan attended her first Christmas at Sandringham after announcing her engagement to Harry. She later reflected on the experience in the 2022 Netflix series "Harry & Meghan," describing it as "amazing."

"I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham," Meghan shared. "Calling my mum, and she's like, 'How's it going?' And I said, 'Oh my gosh, it's amazing. It's just like a big family like I always wanted,' she added. 'And there was just this constant movement and energy and fun."

Recalling the evening meal, Meghan mentioned being seated beside Prince Philip, affectionately calling him "H's grandfather."

She laughed about the moment, saying, "I thought it was so wonderful. And I was like, 'Oh, we chatted, and it was so great."

She added, "He [Harry] was like, 'You had his bad ear. He couldn't hear anything you were saying.' I was like, 'Oh. Well, I thought it went really well.'"

In addition to being excluded from the guest list at the Sandringham celebrations, Harry, Meghan, and Andrew were notably absent from Charles' annual Christmas Day address to the nation.

During his speech, Charles highlighted the dedication of medical professionals involved in his and Kate's cancer care.

He also expressed pride in how communities across the UK came together in response to the summer riots, showcasing clips of William and other working royals.

Speaking to The Mirror, Royal historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop noted that Charles' address "choose to focus on family strengths, not weaknesses, to shore up the nation."

She remarked, "Lest we are in any doubt, the clever film that accompanied this speech, underscored the importance of the King's royal A-Team, on hand to deliver what Charles considers to be an alternative to global killing: a listening and understanding mission that leads to actions for the good of all."

Dunlop added: "As well as a replay of the King's famous hug with the New Zealand women's rugby team, there was footage of Kate at Trooping the Colour, Camilla in Scotland and Australia, William serving food to the homeless and, of course, those royal stalwarts, Princess Anne and the Edinburghs."

With the rift between Harry, Meghan, and the royal family widening each year, it is unclear if there will ever be a reconciliation.