As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to make their own way in the U.S., Meghan Markle once reflected on a memorable Christmas spent with the royal family before her marriage to Prince Harry.
In 2017, just weeks after their engagement announcement, Meghan was invited to spend the festive season at Sandringham, marking her first Christmas with the Windsors.
Dressed in a chic camel coat by Sentaler, a brown Philip Treacy hat, and a coordinating Chloe bag, Meghan joined Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for a traditional church service.
While the pair’s relationship with the royal family has become more strained over time, Meghan opened up about what the holiday festivities were like in their Netflix docuseries, offering a glimpse into the royal Christmas experience.
The last Christmas the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent with the royal family was in 2018, when Meghan was expecting their first child, Prince Archie.
By 2019, they had opted for a quiet festive break in Canada, just weeks before announcing their decision to step back from royal duties.
Despite now living in California, Harry revealed in his memoir Spare that the Sussexes still honor some of the royal family’s traditions.
“We FaceTimed with several friends, including a few in Britain, watched Archie running around the tree, and opened presents,” Harry shared, noting that they maintained the Windsor family tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve.
This custom, known as Heiligabend Bescherung, which dates back to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, is rooted in the royal family’s German heritage.