While initials reports claimed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were hoping to spend the holidays in Scotland with the Royal Family, it's now looking like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have to remain stateside for Christmas. Despite any possible disappointment over missing out on Christmas morning at Sandringham, the pair are reportedly looking forward to spending the holiday season at home with Archie and Meghan's mom.
According to a Mirror source, Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, won't be the only guest at the Sussex family Christmas soirée, either. Grammy-winning producer David Foster and his wife Katharine McPhee—who attended high school with Meghan—are also on the guest list. The anonymous source describe Foster as "surrogate date" for Harry in the States.
"Meghan very much wants to host the first Christmas at their new home with her mum," the source revealed. "She’s really excited and is planning on doing all the traditions she grew up with as a child, including the cooking. They’ve also invited David and Katharine to spend it with them. David had mentioned Harry and Meghan going to theirs but Meghan wants it at home. They want to get on with their new lives. Christmas with Harry’s family is not in the plan.”
While some may view Harry and Meghan's decision to stay in their Santa Barbara home for Christmas this year as a "snub" to Queen Elizabeth, it's quite likely the pair are factoring in COVID-19 risks associated with international travel. They'd have to quarantine for two weeks before being able to spend time with Her Majesty and Prince Phillip as both are in the high risk age category for the novel coronavirus.
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