Harry and Meghan are skipping all the Queen's Christmas parties

The holiday season is upon us but that doesn't mean it's all happiness and joy. In fact, it tends to be one of the most stressful times of the year as everyone gears up to get their homes and selves Christmas-ready. So to alleviate some of the stress, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are scaling back. Big time.We already know that Harry and Meghan have opted out of spending Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family, which means we won't get to see Harry, Meghan and Archie do that annual walk from the Queen's main house on her country estate to the Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. The couple have done it the past two years but this year's set to be different. Instead, they are doing a small Christmas with Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, celebrating Archie's first Christmas as a new family. And despite the reports that the Queen is disappointed they won't be there, the opposite couldn't be more true as Harry and Meghan have also revealed that they have Her Majesty's support to skip the royal festivities. But does that include all the celebrations?Because they won't be at Sandringham for Christmas lunch, that also means the Sussexes are missing out on the gift-giving that happens on Christmas Eve. The Daily Mail also reported there's another holiday event from which Harry and Meghan will MIA: the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace this Wednesday. They reportedly didn't make an appearance at Monday night's annual palace party with royal staffers either. "As the couple made clear a few weeks ago, they are taking some time away together as a family," a source told the Mail. "This means that they will miss Christmas events."

 

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Royal Residences have been transformed for the festive season with the arrival of Christmas Trees! ?✨ #ARoyalChristmas . Over 20,000 twinkling lights are glistening across Windsor Castle. This year a magical 20-foot-high Nordmann Fir tree is on display in St George’s Hall. The trees have been decorated in a Victorian fashion with velvet and gold, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the births of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. . During the Christmas Broadcast in 2015, The Queen said: “At this time of year, few sights evoke more feelings of cheer and goodwill than the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.” . ? @royalcollectiontrust

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Dec 13, 2019 at 7:55am PST

Harry and Meghan are currently enjoying some down time from royal duties to simply spend time together as a family, with son Archie and Doria. Those in the know have insisted that it's by no means a snub and the Queen is "understanding of the situation."They're also not the first ones to skip Christmas with the Windsors. William and Kate spent Christmas 2016 with the Middletons at their Bucklebury home. Sometimes a family wants to forego a big formal celebration in favour of a more intimate affair. Ain't nothing wrong with that and if Her Maj is on board, why wouldn't they take the time out for themselves?It's been widely reported that the Sussexes and Ragland are spending the holidays in the U.S., and may already be there now, but there have been no sightings as of yet.The last time Harry and Meghan were out together was Remembrance Sunday, though we get regular updates from and about the couple on their Instagram page.According to the Mail, Harry and Meghan will be back on royal duty in January, to launch their new charity, Sussex Royal The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It's a mouthful, but we can't wait to see what the couple bring in 2020.

 

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Today, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined Her Majesty The Queen and members of @TheRoyalFamily at the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph to commemorate and honour the men and women who have lost their lives in conflict. As shared at last night’s Festival of Remembrance, this quote embodies the sacrifice of those that serve: • “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.” • For more details of this week of Remembrance and their Royal Highness’s recognition for those who serve, please see previous posts. #WeWillRememberThem #Remembrance Photo © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Nov 10, 2019 at 8:43am PST

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