Prince Harry and the Royal Family Already Have a Plan for Keeping in Touch on Christmas, Apparently

It involves Zoom calls and online games.

Royal family
(Image credit: Getty)

  • This year, like many families around the world, the royal family will be celebrating Christmas apart, observing social distancing guidelines put in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie Harrison, will be celebrating from their new home in California, but are said to be on better terms lately with the rest of the royal family than they were even earlier this year.
  • A source close to the royal family told ET Online that the royals are planning Zoom calls and to play games with each other online since they can't be together at the Queen's estate in Sandringham this year.

If your Christmas plans look much different this year than usual, then you're definitely not alone. The royal family usually gathers at the Queen's estate in Sandringham to celebrate the Christmas holidays, but this year, they'll be celebrating separately from different locations because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Queen and Prince Philip announced earlier this month that they will be celebrating the holidays quietly from Windsor Castle, for example. While it's not known exactly where many members of the royal family will be celebrating just yet, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie Harrison, will be celebrating from their new home in Montecito, California.

The royals might not be able to be together in person, but they'll still be connecting and celebrating the holiday together. A source explained to ET Online that the Firm already has plans in place for their socially distanced celebration.

"The family is planning Zoom calls and games online because they can’t all spend Christmas at Sandringham together like they normally do," the royal source told ET.

And even though Harry and Meghan's relationship with the rest of the royal family has been notoriously strained this year, the source says that's changing too and the Sussexes are definitely part of the Christmas plan.

"Everyone is on better terms and have been for quite some time. The relationship has improved and COVID has brought everyone closer together," the source explained. "Harry was very concerned for his brother and father when they both contracted the disease. While there have been disagreements, like there are in every family, the brotherly bond remains intact despite tabloid reports."

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Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

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.