Speculation is mounting over whether Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will spend Christmas in the United Kingdom, with security concerns casting a long shadow over the possibility of a festive family reunion. Despite reports suggesting an invitation for the couple to join Prince Harry’s uncle, Earl Spencer, at Princess Diana’s ancestral home, Althorp House, for the holidays, a royal expert suggests such a visit would contradict Prince Harry’s persistent claims regarding the safety of his family in the UK.
Jennie Bond, a well-regarded royal expert, argues that accepting an invitation to spend Christmas in the UK would undermine Prince Harry’s stance on security. Speaking to OK!, Bond stated that if the Sussexes were to accept this reported invitation, it would directly contradict Harry’s repeated assertions that the UK is unsafe for his wife and children without publicly funded security. This issue has been a central point of contention for Prince Harry, who has pursued legal action to reinstate taxpayer-funded security for his family when they are in the UK.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Invictus Games
Bond further elaborated that the security situation for the Sussexes is “extremely unlikely to change at all,” especially in the short timeframe leading up to Christmas. She emphasized that official security, the kind Prince Harry seeks, is not anticipated to be granted. Therefore, she finds it “very odd indeed” to imagine the family suddenly appearing in the UK for the Christmas holidays under the current circumstances. This observation highlights the ongoing stalemate between Prince Harry and the UK government concerning security arrangements.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at WellChild Awards
Adding weight to the unlikelihood of a Christmas visit, Bond suggests that such a trip would imply Prince Harry abandoning his legal appeal against the ruling that denied him automatic police protection. For Prince Harry to bring his family to the UK without resolving the security issue would be seen as a significant reversal of his publicly stated position and ongoing legal efforts. Consequently, Jennie Bond concludes, “Therefore, I do not think that we shall be seeing them in the UK for Christmas, or indeed anytime soon.” This reinforces the idea that the security dispute is a major obstacle preventing Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from returning to the UK for Christmas or any other visits in the near future.
It is worth noting that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not celebrated Christmas in the UK since 2018. In 2019, they opted to spend the holidays with Meghan’s mother in the United States. Their absence from UK Christmas celebrations has been consistent since they stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and relocated to the US prior to the 2020 holiday season. This pattern of spending Christmas away from the UK further suggests that a change in plans for this year, given the unresolved security concerns, remains improbable.
