The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to celebrate with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, instead of joining King Charles at Sandringham, following their return to Britain.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to spend Christmas 2026 with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, rather than joining the British royal family at Sandringham. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also expected to celebrate Thanksgiving with Ragland, although the location of both holidays has not been finalized.
The couple may return to their California home in Montecito or invite Ragland to join them in Britain. The arrangements reportedly depend on where Meghan’s mother prefers to spend the holidays.
The decision comes after Harry, Meghan and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, returned to Britain in late August. The family has settled into a home in the Cotswolds, where the children have enrolled in school after spending much of their childhood in California.
According to People, friends of the couple say they are happy in their new surroundings but have no immediate plans to attend the royal family’s traditional Christmas gathering. Their holiday arrangements also reflect continued tensions between Harry and several members of his family.
A source speaking to The Sunday Times said the couple did not expect an invitation to Sandringham and believed attending would be uncomfortable. The source described the continuing family disagreements as a significant obstacle to a Christmas reunion.
Harry and Meghan last spent Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham in 2018, the year they married. Meghan was pregnant with Archie at the time, and the couple attended the traditional Christmas Day church service alongside Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals.
Meghan also joined the royal Christmas celebrations in 2017, shortly after announcing her engagement to Harry. Her invitation attracted attention because she had not yet married into the family, making her presence at the gathering unusual under the royal traditions followed at the time.
The Sussexes have not returned for a Sandringham Christmas since 2018. In 2019, they spent the holiday season in Canada before announcing their decision to step back from senior royal duties in January 2020.
That decision eventually led to their relocation to California, where they established a home and pursued independent business and charitable projects. Their relationship with the monarchy has remained strained following several public interviews, a Netflix documentary series and Harry’s memoir, Spare.
Their return to Britain earlier this year raised new questions about whether Harry might rebuild relationships with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William.
Harry and Meghan did reunite with King Charles and Queen Camilla in July 2026, when they visited the monarch at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. Archie and Lilibet also attended the private gathering, marking an important family reunion.
Reuters reported that the July visit was the King’s first opportunity to see his grandchildren in person since 2022. The meeting took place privately, without an official photo session or public account of the family discussions.
Although the reunion represented renewed personal contact, it did not resolve the wider family disagreements. Harry has reportedly remained in telephone contact with his father, but there has been no publicly confirmed second meeting since July.
Relations between Harry and William appear more difficult. The brothers are not believed to have spoken directly since the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 19, 2022.
People reported that sources close to William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, believe substantial disagreements still need to be addressed. One palace source suggested William would be cautious about resuming contact because of the difficulties experienced by the family.
Harry has previously expressed his desire for reconciliation, particularly with his father. However, the reported Christmas arrangements indicate that any broader family reunion is unlikely to happen during this year’s holiday celebrations.
The decision to celebrate with Ragland also reflects Meghan’s continuing relationship with her mother. Ragland has been an important presence in the Sussex family’s life, particularly during the years they lived in California.
Friends say the couple would welcome her to Britain for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If she prefers to remain in California, they are prepared to travel there instead.
The arrangement would allow Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, to spend the holidays with their maternal grandmother. It would also provide a family celebration separate from the public attention surrounding the monarchy’s traditional Christmas activities.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are preparing to make their first major joint public appearance since returning to Britain.
The couple are scheduled to visit Nottingham on Thursday, October 15, for engagements connected to local charities and organizations supporting families and young people.
Nottingham holds particular significance for Harry and Meghan because it was the location of their first official joint public engagement after announcing their engagement in November 2017. During that visit, they met community representatives and supported organizations working on issues involving young people and health.
Their upcoming visit will include activities associated with the Hubb Community Kitchen, an initiative Meghan supported while carrying out royal duties. The kitchen became widely known through Together: Our Community Cookbook, a project involving women affected by the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.
Meghan helped promote the cookbook in 2018, with proceeds supporting the kitchen’s work. The new visit will provide another opportunity to reconnect with people involved in that community project.
The couple are also expected to visit the Community Recording Studio, which supports young people through music and creative activities. Harry has previously visited the organization and maintained an interest in its programs.
Another planned stop involves Epic Partners, a Nottingham organization that provides mentoring, sports opportunities and support for young people.
These engagements will not be official royal duties. Harry and Meghan stepped away from their roles as working members of the monarchy in 2020 and now conduct their activities independently.
Their renewed public presence in Britain comes as Meghan continues developing her lifestyle brand, As Ever. She recently met education activist Malala Yousafzai in London and announced plans to support the Malala Fund through proceeds from selected products.
Harry has also maintained his involvement in charitable work, including activities connected to the Invictus Games and organizations supporting children and families.
The couple’s return to Britain has therefore created two separate developments: greater involvement in British community activities and continued distance from some members of the royal family.
Their Christmas plans illustrate that distinction. Living in Britain has brought the Sussexes geographically closer to the monarchy, but it has not automatically restored their previous family relationships.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to continue the royal family’s traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham in Norfolk. The occasion normally includes a Christmas morning church service attended by members of the family.
For Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet, the holiday is expected to center on time with Doria Ragland, either in California or Britain.
The exact location has not been announced. Their next scheduled public appearance, however, is the October 15 visit to Nottingham, where they will reconnect with organizations they supported before leaving their royal duties.
IMAGE: Meghan Markle at a promotional event for the TV show Suits. Photo: Genevieve derivative work: Firebrace (talk) / Wikimedia, taken 2013-01-14, CC BY 2.0