Should Harry & Meghan be invited to Christmas with the Royal Family? Take our poll and have your say

Should Harry & Meghan be invited to Christmas with the Royal Family? Take our poll and have your say A royal source has claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may not be welcome at Sandringham alongside the royals as their relationship remains strained As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prepare to move back to the UK within a matter of days, many royal watchers have speculated what their return could mean for the future of royal events. Each year, by personal invitation of the King, members of the Royal Family, both working or otherwise, are invited to spend time together in a royal residence for a period of time. The most notable of these trips come at summertime when the royals head to Balmoral in Scotland for several weeks throughout August before their royal duties recommence in September, and the other coming in December, when the Royal Family at large flock to Sandringham for the festive season. The family enjoy a well-deserved break together in Norfolk over Christmas, and while they largely remain away from the public eye, many gather in Sandringham on Christmas morning to catch a glimpse of the royal as they make their way to St Mary Magdalene Church for the festive service. This Sandringham getaway is a staple in the royal calendar, as many members of the family join together to spend Christmas unwinding and spending quality time. But with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, set to be relocating to the UK within a matter of days, some have started to wonder whether they will be invited to this year’s Sandringham Christmas celebration. A royal source told the Telegraph that it is simply “way too early” to confirm when and whether the Sussexes would be included in any public family events once they were based in Britain, although it is believed they will not attend official events. During her time as a working royal, Meghan only spent two Christmases at Sandringham. She joined the royals at the Norfolk estate in 2017, just one month after they announced their engagement, and again in 2018 as newlyweds. The Duke and Duchess were also invited to join the family in 2019, when Prince Archie was just seven months old, but they decided to spend the festive season abroad instead, just one month before they quit their royal roles. Meghan spoke fondly of her Sandringham Christmases in her and Harry’s 2022 Netflix docuseries, as she recalled a phone conversation she had with her mum Doria while at Sandringham for the first Christmas in 2017, Meghan said: “I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham, calling my mom, and she's like 'How's it going?' and I said 'Oh my gosh it’s amazing'. The Duchess added: “It's just like a big family like I always wanted. And there was just this constant movement and energy and fun." Meghan reportedly also spent the first Christmas dinner at Sandringham sitting next to Prince Philip, which she said was “so wonderful”. Prince Harry also spoke about the big day afterwards on BBC Radio 4’s Today Show in 2017, as he said: “The family loved having her there. There’s always that family side to Christmas, along with all the work that goes into it, but together we had an amazing time. We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running around with the kids. Christmas was fantastic.” Meghan’s inclusion at the 2017 Sandringham Christmas marked a historic moment, as he was the first fiancée to be invited to join the Windsors at the annual festivities – marking a significant break with royal protocol. Neither the Princess of Wales nor the Duchess of Edinburgh spent Christmas Day at Sandringham with their in-laws until after they had tied the knot.