Their professional paths have uncharacteristically failed to align over the past few weeks, leaving the current state of their six-year marriage under scrutiny. And now, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle increasingly spend time apart, insiders tell Closer that the Sussexes are locking horns over how – and more specifically where – to spend Christmas this year. While Harry, 40, has his sights set on spending the festive period in his homeland with hopes of reconnecting with sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Meghan, 43, is firmly advocating for a Montecito Christmas, where the former royals relocated in 2020.
A source tells Closer, ‘It’s eating away at Harry that he hasn't seen his father since just after he announced his cancer diagnosis in February, and that was just a 45-minute meeting. But as the King stayed in Scotland while Harry was in London recently, a reunion is looking more unlikely, and Harry knows he must do something bold to make it right.
‘Knowing that the family has been in so much turmoil with both Charles and Kate suffering health battles, Harry has never felt so far away from his family. But it's been impossible for him to get Meghan to agree to visit the UK. She is 100% against spending any time there, let alone at Christmas. But Harry believes it could be the gesture that gets him back into the good graces of his family – as he grows increasingly uneasy with the idea of being an outcast.
‘But Meghan's been clear that she's not going to be playing happy families – she's given Harry an ultimatum that he must choose between reconnecting with Kate and the royals or staying home with his own family.'
Since Prince Harry turned 40 on 15 September, he has taken on a string of solo endeavours. After a reported lads’ holiday to celebrate his milestone birthday, the father of two travelled to New York for charitable purposes, before flying to London for the annual WellChild Awards. Meanwhile, rumours that he’s striving to mend bridges with his estranged family have been rife, coinciding with reports that Harry’s uncle, Charles Spencer, has invited him, Meghan and their two children to spend Christmas at Althorp House, Princess Diana’s childhood home.
Former actress Meghan has not visited the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022, and her last Christmas in London was six years ago, months after she and Harry got married.
And the insider explains that the couple – who are parents to Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – are struggling to reach an agreement over Christmas, raising the question of whether they will spend it on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
‘Christmas is a huge stumbling block for the couple, and there's even an idea that they could spend it apart,’ the source says. ‘Pals fear that it could spell serious trouble for them both, so with only months to go, it’s already crunch time. If Harry does decide to try to spend it with the family, Meghan would be extremely disappointed. She doesn’t want to spend the holidays without her husband – and Harry certainly doesn’t want to disappoint his wife and not be with his own family at such an important time.’
Royal biographer Robert Jobson has claimed that Harry ‘wants to come back and do more things [in the UK] if he could’, but his scaled-back security since stepping down as a working royal – which the Duke of Sussex is appealing in an ongoing legal battle – has been an obstacle.
However, after Closer reported that Kate Middleton – who has been making a gradual return to public duties since announcing she is cancer-free – has regained contact with Harry, it seems as though she has been a driving force in him wanting to make up for lost time in London. But our source says appeasing Meghan and wanting a family reconciliation has left Harry at a crossroads, particularly as he would love his wife to join him across the pond.
The insider says, ‘It’s clear that Harry has a lot of apologising to do, but he is struggling because he still feels scorned by his family. The recent health battles of his father and sister-in-law have put things into perspective though, and he knows he has to try everything he can to make things right. No one close to the family believes that can happen while he still takes orders from Meghan to stay in Montecito, and they feel the only thing that could help the family heal is if he stands up to her. But it’s clear that Meghan is the one calling the shots.’