Entertainment
How Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Could Spend Their First Christmas With Baby Archie
This Christmas is shaping up to be extra special for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. After all, it's their first holiday season as parents to their adorable 7-month-old son, Archie Harrison. While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby boy is a member of the royal family, of course, it's likely that baby Archie's first Christmas will actually veer away from some holiday traditions that his Cambridge cousins will be participating in and his parents took part in last year.
For starters, Markle and Prince Harry won't be celebrating their first Christmas as parents in the United Kingdom. Back in November, Buckingham Palace confirmed to royal reporter, Omid Scobie, that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be spending the holiday this year with Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, though they didn't share where that would be. On Dec. 20, however, the couple shared, via a family spokesperson, that they are "spending private family time in Canada" and are "enjoying the warmth of the Canadian people and beauty of the landscape with their young son," according to CTV News. It's not clear if they plan on relocating anywhere before Christmas.
While Prince Harry and Markle's holiday celebrations will likely remain pretty "private," here's a look at how the Sussex family could be spending their first Christmas together.
They're Celebrating Christmas Across The Pond
Although spending Christmas away from Prince Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, might sound uncommon, Buckingham Palace told Scobie that the couple got permission to spend the holiday across the pond with Markle's family.
"The decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen," the spokesperson told Scobie last month.
Ragland currently lives in Southern California, according to Good Housekeeping, so it's possible that Archie's first Christmas could look quite different than what he would have experienced in the United Kingdom, whether or not they stay in Canada.
They'll Miss Some Royal Christmas Moments
The extended members of the royal family typically spend Christmas with the Queen at her country estate, Sandringham House in Norfolk. This is actually where Prince Harry and Markle spent their first Christmas together as a married couple in 2018, according to ELLE.
But because they're not in England this year, the Sussexes missed one of the Queen's big Christmas parties at Buckingham Palace due to their current holiday break and will also miss the royal family's annual walk to church on Dec. 25.
But They'll Surely Make Their Own
Before she was the Duchess of Sussex, Markle was an actress who ran a lifestyle blog, The Tig, and was rich with tips and tricks to creating a very happy Christmas. In 2015, Markle shared her own hosting tips with Grazia Daily, where she revealed that she was keen on breaking tradition by spending the holiday with friends (especially if that means avoiding that favorite family fruitcake) and ends up buying "way too much of everything" for holiday meals.
She could put all of these tricks to use and make her own traditions with her son, and it's also possible that they'll keep some of the royal family's traditions. For example, the royal family reportedly has a buffet dinner on Christmas night, according to Cosmopolitan, and now that Archie is reportedly eating solid foods, a festive buffet might be right up his alley.
Santa Might Visit Archie
Little Archie has already received so many presents from his parent's travels and their different royal engagements since he was born. And Harrow & Green, a company based out of London, already sent the little boy a custom Christmas sack personalized with his name on it, according to Hello! Magazine. But it's possible Santa will drop by to bring Archie a few special gifts this year. After all, Prince Harry dressed up as the big man in red ahead of the holiday in support of the nonprofit organization called Scotty's Little Soldiers.
Royal fans can also likely count on Prince Harry and Markle to teach Archie about the importance of giving back, especially during the holidays. The Sussexes are currently highlighting 12 different organizations that care for those in need (especially during the holiday season) over on their Instagram account throughout the month of December.
"It's an important time of year to help those around you who may be less fortunate, or would appreciate even the smallest act of kindness," the couple wrote in a post. This is in line with current royal tradition; the Queen donates money to different charities in Windsor each holiday season, and even donates Christmas trees to churches and schools in Sandringham.
Archie's first Christmas won't be full of royal traditions, but it seems like Markle and Prince Harry will have a lovely time with their baby boy.
