Despite Family Tensions, Prince William and Princess Catherine Will Reportedly Still Send Archie and Lili Christmas Presents

The adults, however, will not be exchanging gifts.

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Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
(Image credit: Getty)

According to multiple outlets, Prince William is none too pleased right now about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s inclusion of clips from Princess Diana’s infamous Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, which made an appearance in Harry and Meghan’s new Netflix docuseries this week.

But Christmas is still coming up, and, according to The Daily Express, Harry and Meghan’s children Archie and Lili can still expect to get Christmas gifts from their uncle (and aunt Kate)—but don’t call it an olive branch, the outlet reports. (It also appears that, while the kids may be in luck, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may not be on William and Kate’s nice list this year.) “The gifts are believed to be only for the little ones in their families, signaling Kate and William are not ready to extend an olive branch to the Sussexes,” according to the outlet.

“In the absence of goodwill between the couples, William and Kate will not deprive three-year-old Archie and Lilibet, one, of a present under the tree,” royal expert Roya Nikkhah wrote in The Sunday Times, per The Daily Express. “And, in one royal tradition that Team Sussex is still on board with, Harry and Meghan have also dispatched gifts for George, Charlotte, and Louis, who are nine, seven, and four. There will be no presents exchanged between the adults.” Ouch.

The Sussexes will not be making the trip across the pond for a Sandringham Christmas this year, likely because of mounting tensions surrounding the docuseries and Harry's forthcoming memoir, set for release on January 10.

Nikkhah added that William is still “fond” of his only nephew, Archie, and also of Lili, “despite barely having the chance to meet her in person over the past year and a half,” The Daily Express reports.

The two couples were last together in person back in September for the funeral of Her late Majesty. Though—so far, anyway—Harry and Meghan’s eponymous Netflix docuseries has shied away from ample criticism of the new Prince and Princess of Wales, Meghan did take a slight dig at the Waleses, suggesting they were “jarred” by her warm and “hugging” nature the first time they met.

However, we’ve only seen half of Harry & Meghan’s offerings—the final three parts will be released this Thursday, December 15, and feature Meghan saying at one point “This is when a family and a family business are in direct conflict.” 

Rachel Burchfield
Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.