Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been invited to spend Christmas at Althorp House, Princess Diana’s childhood home.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly been invited to spend Christmas at Althorp House, the childhood home of Princess Diana, per Express report.
The Sussexes have not returned to the UK together for the holiday season since joining the royal family at Sandringham in 2018.
Since stepping down from their royal duties and relocating to the United States in 2020, the couple has not participated in any royal family gatherings for Christmas. They have also been notably absent from other royal family traditions, such as the annual summer vacation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Prince Harry remains connected with his mother’s side
But, Prince Harry has maintained close ties with his late mother’s side of the family, especially his uncle, Charles Spencer.
The Duke of Sussex also reportedly appeared at his other uncle, Lord Robert Fellows’s funeral, where he was “keeping a distance” from his estranged brother Prince William.
Although both Harry and his brother, Prince William, were present at the service held at St. Mary’s Church in Norfolk, the two sat separately, reinforcing the ongoing rift between them. The funeral was the first time the brothers had been seen together since King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023.
During this brief trip, Harry reportedly stayed with his uncle Charles Spencer at Althorp House, where Princess Diana was laid to rest. Althorp holds deep sentimental value for Harry, as it is where his mother’s final resting place is located, on an island in the middle of Round Oval Lake.
Charles Spencer reportedly invited Prince Harry and Meghan to UK
A source told the Express that “Charles [Spencer] has invited Harry, Meghan, and the children to Althorp this Christmas. It’s far too early to say whether they will take him up on it, but the offer is there if they want it.”
If the royal couple decides to make the long journey from Montecito, California, to Althorp in England, it would be Meghan’s first visit to the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
However, the Sussexes have not yet received a formal invite from the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham, which is typically hosted by King Charles. The insider, however, suggested, “There hasn’t been an invitation extended to Sandringham just yet, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be one forthcoming.”
“It would be highly unlikely if there was an invitation extended [to Sandringham], and I don’t think they [the Sussexes] would take them up on it anyway.”
Even in May, during the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games in London, Prince Harry was seen warmly embracing his uncle Charles and his aunt Lady Jane Fellowes.
