The Sussexes prioritize family traditions in California over royal reunions in the UK.

For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Christmas has transformed into a deeply personal affair far removed from the grandeur of royal festivities. This year marked their sixth consecutive holiday season spent stateside, continuing a tradition that began when they left royal life behind in 2020. The couple, along with their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, opted to remain at their Montecito home, crafting their own holiday traditions.

While the Duke and Duchess of Sussexweren’t extended an official invitation to join King Charles and the rest of the royal family at Sandringham, they did receive a surprising overture. Harry’s uncle, Charles Spencer, reportedly invited the family to Althorp, Princess Diana’s childhood home. It would have been a poignant setting for a family reunion, especially given Harry’s recent brief visit to Althorp earlier this year.

So why did the Sussexes turn it down? According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Meghan was determined to give Archie and Lilibet the gift of lasting memories rooted in their California home. “Meghan says it’s important for her that Archie and Lilibet can have ‘connective memories’ of Thanksgiving and Christmas at home,”Seward told The Mirror. She added that the couple wanted their children to enjoy familiar holiday traditions, like leaving carrots for Santa’s reindeer, in the comfort of Montecito.

The decision wasn’t just about preserving a sense of home for the children. Tensions within the royal family also played a role. Seward noted that while King Charles would have relished the opportunity to see his grandchildren during the holidays, Harry’s strained relationship with key family members, particularly Prince William, made a royal invitation to Sandringham unlikely.

How the Sussexes are changing Christmas traditions away from royal protocol

The Sussexes’ absence from royal Christmas gatherings has become a recurring theme since their last appearance in 2018, the year of their wedding. Even in 2019, while still working royals, they chose to spend the holiday overseas. Now, with their new life in California, the divide seems to grow wider with each passing year.

For Archie and Lilibet, the absence of royal traditions has created space for new ones, far removed from the pomp of Sandringham. But for Harry, the decision to skip Althorp likely carried its own emotional weight. It’s a choice that reflects not just his current reality, but also the profound changes in his identity as a prince, a husband, and a father.

As Christmases come and go, it seems the Sussexes are carving out a space uniquely theirs-one that’s free from the shadow of royal protocol, but not without its own complexities.