Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expected to celebrate Christmas at their Montecito home with their kids, with the Duchess of Sussex opening up about the festive period.

Meghan Markle has opened up about her Christmas celebrations with Prince Harry and their two children, with some critics interpreting it as a subtle dig at the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to spend the holidays at their $14million Montecito home with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The family has been living in the U.S. since March 2020, a few months after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals.

Their relationship with the royal family has significantly deteriorated in recent years due to their Netflix docuseries and Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare. Despite this, Meghan has indicated that they are happier than ever.

The former Suits star said celebrating Christmas with her small family in America is one of her most cherished times of the year. Hinting at how she feels after leaving the royal family, Meghan told Marie Claire “every year it gets better,” especially now her children are old enough to understand what’s happening.

Meghan Markle has revealed her Christmas plans 

She also mentioned that their family tends to be “always pretty low-key” during major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, often spending them with her mother, Doria Ragland. Meghan only spent two Christmases with the royal family, with the late Queen Elizabeth II deviating from tradition to invite her in 2017 and again the following year.

While Kate Middleton and Sophie Wessex were not invited to Sandringham until after their weddings, the Queen made an exception for Meghan. A courtier later revealed to royal expert Richard Eden that “the Queen believed that Meghan – a divorced, mixed-race American actress – would be a breath of fresh air and a great asset to the Monarchy.”

The Queen expedited Meghan’s integration into the royal family, inviting her to join a service marking Commonwealth Day – her first official engagement with the Queen – two months before her wedding. This was another clear sign that Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as part of the family.

However, according to the expert, the Queen began to have concerns about Meghan’s behavior as the couple’s 2018 wedding approached. The late monarch was reportedly surprised when Meghan declined her offer to have Duchess Sophie guide her on marrying into the royal family and was also “taken aback” by her choice of wedding dress.