The Queen Is "Very Sad" Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are Missing Christmas in the UK, Royal Expert Says

The Queen is "very sad" that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are staying in California for the Christmas holidays this year, a royal expert says.

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london, england june 26 meghan, duchess of sussex, prince harry, duke of sussex and queen elizabeth ii at the queens young leaders awards ceremony at buckingham palace on june 26, 2018 in london, england the queens young leaders programme, now in its fourth and final year, celebrates the achievements of young people from across the commonwealth working to improve the lives of people across a diverse range of issues including supporting people living with mental health problems, access to education, promoting gender equality, food scarcity and climate change photo by john stillwell wpa poolgetty images
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  • Because of travel and gathering restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie Harrison, won't be able to spend Christmas with the royal family this year.
  • According to royal biographer Penny Junor, the Queen will be "very sad" not to see the Sussex family in person over the holidays.
  • Junor predicts that Harry, Meghan, and Archie will make time to celebrate with the Queen and other members of the royal family on Zoom on Christmas Day.

Just like the rest of us, the royal family is going to have to make some changes to their Christmas traditions this year. The Queen is especially upset about the changes she's having to make to her holiday celebration guest list as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with Daily Express, royal biographer Penny Junor, who wrote the 1991 biography Charles and Diana: Portrait of a Marriage, explained that the Queen is going to misses the Sussexes most of all this holiday season. 

According to Junor, the Queen has "a very soft spot" and she's no doubt incredibly disappointed that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, won't be able to visit for the holidays—along with her great-grandson, Archie Harrison.

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"I am sure the Queen will be very sad not to see Harry and Megan and her youngest great-grandchild," Junor said. "Harry gets on very well with his cousins, and I guess he will miss seeing them and, of course, he will miss spending time with his grandparents whom he adores."

Harry will be missing more than just the Queen's traditional Sandringham Christmas celebration. According to Junor, there are other holiday traditions the royal will be missing out on as he spends Christmas in California this year.

"He will miss the charity football match that he and William instigated several years ago, between the home team—them and the estate workers—and the locals," she explained.

Still, Junor is confident that Harry will make time for his grandmother on Christmas Day for a virtual celebration.

"I imagine that they will follow whatever traditions Megan grew up with," she predicted of the Sussex family's Christmas this year." "But I am sure they will make a Zoom call to the Royal Family at some point on Christmas Day."

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Kayleigh Roberts
Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.