Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly prioritized their children when they decided to spend Christmas at home in California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex enjoyed the holiday with son Prince Archie, 5, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3, at their home in the exclusive enclave of Montecito.
According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, the couple made the choice to stay home after declining an invitation to celebrate Christmas at Althorp House, the Northampton, U.K., estate owned by the late Princess Diana’s younger brother, Charles, Earl Spencer.
“Harry and Meghan were invited for Christmas at Althorp with thrice-married Uncle Charles, now Earl Spencer, but have decided to stay in California,” Seward told the Mirror. “Meghan says it’s important for her that Archie and Lilibet can have ‘connective memories’ of Thanksgiving and Christmas at home and enjoy the traditions like putting out ‘carrots for the reindeer.’”
Despite the rift between the Sussexes and the royal family, Harry and Earl Spencer have continued to share a close relationship.
Harry and Meghan have visited Althorp on multiple occasions over the past few years, and the duke’s uncle attended his nephew’s Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary service in London May 8.
Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was reportedly the only other family member to join the Sussexes for their quiet Christmas celebration.
Representatives for Harry and Megan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
During a November interview with Marie Claire, Meghan gushed over her love for the holidays.
She noted that her children are now “3 and 5, so every year it gets better.”
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“At first, I think, as a mom with children, you’re just enjoying having them there, but they’re not understanding everything that’s happening yet,” the former “Suits” star said. “But now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.
“Every single holiday is a new adventure.”
On Dec. 16, Harry and Markle released their holiday card, which featured a grid of six photos. An accompanying message said, “On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year.”
Included in those six pictures was a rare glimpse of Archie and Lilibet. In the family photo, Harry is seen bending down to greet his daughter with a hug, and Markle is seen doing the same with Archie.
Earlier this month, People magazine reported the Sussexes did not receive an invitation from the royal family to join them at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk for their annual Christmas holiday.
Harry and Meghan haven’t spent Christmas at Sandringham with the royal family since 2018, the same year they were married.
On Christmas Day, King Charles III, 76, and wife Queen Camilla, 77, took part in the royal family’s traditional walk for morning mass at Sandringham’s St. Mary Magdalene Church.
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They were joined by Charles’ son Prince William, 42, Kate Middleton, 42, and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Other royal family members in attendance included Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, 74; her daughter Zara Tindall, 43; and Mike Tindall, 46. Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, 60, and his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 59, also attended the service.
The year has been a tumultuous one for the royal family. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles was being treated for cancer, though it was not specified which type. Earlier this year, the monarch was treated for an enlarged prostate.
In January, Kensington Palace announced Kate had planned abdominal surgery. She was out of sight for several months, sparking speculation about her health.
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In March, Kate put the speculation to rest by announcing she had also been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.
In September, Kate announced she had completed chemotherapy treatment. In a video announcing her progress, she said the path to full recovery would be long, and she would take it day by day.
She said she would undertake some limited engagements through the end of the year.
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimston and Janelle Ash contributed to this report.
