Harry and Meghan's 'lonely' Christmas explained as Royals arrive at Sandringham

24 December 2023 , 15:44

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Harry and Meghan's 'lonely' Christmas explained as Royals arrive at Sandringham

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's Christmas plans have been revealed as the Royal Family arrive at Sandringham for the Christmas Eve traditions.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were just spotted heading to a traditional Christmas Eve service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the royal estate in Norfolk this afternoon. The monarch, 75, offered well-wishers a wave while striding to the church, accompanied by his wife, as well as sister Queen Anne, Sir Timothy Laurence and trusted equerry Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Thompson.

The family will soon exchange presents before heading to church on Christmas Day morning and followed by a traditional lunch with all the trimmings and a group viewing of King Charles' festive broadcast. This year has seen King Charles throw the doors open to more family members than ever, with the increased guestlist set to include Queen Camilla's children for the first time.

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Meghan and Harry will spend the day in Calfornia (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

But despite the bumper turnout of relatives, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be part of it. It is expected the couple and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will be thousands of miles away in California, where they have spent Christmas for the past three years. In fact, it is five years since Harry and Meghan last spent the festive season in the UK.

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Relationship expert and co-founder of So Syncd Louella Alderson has shared what she believes the Duke and Duchess will get up to instead, this Christmas, exclusively telling us that those around the couple will ensure they have a "special holiday season," but it's no doubt that Harry will feel "lonely" spending another festive period away from the UK.

"It's possible that Harry may feel a sense of loneliness during the holiday season, especially if he is house-hunting in the UK and has a desire to spend Christmas in the UK this year," she said. "Being homesick and missing British traditions and celebrations could make the holiday periods more difficult for him.

Charles, Camilla, Anne and Tim Lawrence were among the royals at Sandringham this afternoon (Geoff Robinson / SplashNews.com)

"Even though Harry won't be spending Christmas with the UK this year, he will most likely still have a loving and supportive community to celebrate with. They'll also have the opportunity to create new holiday traditions with their children and their American family members, which can bring excitement and joy to the festivities," Louella added.

Lauren Gordon