Prince William is not furious with his brother, Prince Harry, or his sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, because they aren’t attending Christmas with Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family. That story is featured on one of the tabloids. Gossip Cop has looked into the claim and we can debunk it.
In a two-page spread in its latest issue, Woman’s Day lays out the traditions of the royal family’s Christmas celebration at Queen Elizabeth’s country estate, Sandringham, where she has historically spent the yuletide season. The outlet quotes what it calls a “source” as saying the queen is “deeply concerned” about Prince Harry and Markle not joining the rest of the family for Christmas this year. Earlier this month, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be spending the holidays with Markle’s mother.
A supposed tipster tells the magazine, “There’s no doubt [Queen Elizabeth] is disappointed they won’t be joining her for Christmas, especially as she would have loved to spend time with little Archie. But she’s accepted the explanation that they need time on their own.” This sentiment, according to the phony report, is not shared by Prince William or their father, Prince Charles, whom are said to be “shocked and furious” at Prince Harry for not attending.
The source further alleges that Prince William and Prince Charles have “tried talking to Harry and encouraged him to make the sacrifice for his grandmother’s sake, but it’s fallen on deaf ears.” The article then quotes what it describes as a “royal commentator,” who tells the outlet it’s “baffling” that Prince Harry and Markle aren’t attending Christmas with the royals. It’s hard to take a “royal commentator” seriously when they seem to have no knowledge of royal history. Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, have done the exact same thing Prince Harry and Markle are doing this year. Since marrying, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have split Christmases between Sandringham and Middleton’s family. They most recently spent Christmas with the Middletons in 2016.
Markle and Prince Harry have spent the last two Christmases with the royal family, and this year the couple will spend it out of town, as part of an extended six-week holiday that also includes spending Thanksgiving with Markle’s family. There’s nothing unusual about the Sussexes spending the holidays away from the queen, and she certainly understands and supports the decision. The official statement from Buckingham Palace reads, “Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria Ragland. This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen.”
It’s worth noting that nowhere in the piece does Woman’s Day mention that just a month ago, it alleged Markle and Prince Harry were expecting a second baby, due on their son Archie’s first birthday. While the headline may have been “Harry Confirms Baby #2!” on the cover, the actual story was filled with questionable quotes from anonymous sources, but unsurprisingly, nothing official from the duke, despite the bold headline. Baby number two wasn’t confirmed by Prince Harry, the palace or anyone else connected to the royal family. The publication has little insight into the royals and how they operate.