Speculation has been mounting about where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will spend Christmas later this year with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – and one expert believes it poses a major dilemma
It’s the time of year when families start to make their plans for Christmas – and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be among them.
Since dramatically quitting their royal roles, the Sussexes and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have spent the festive season in the United States. But with the end of the year and Christmas fast approaching, speculation is mounting about where they will spend the holidays in just a few months’ time.
No doubt the Royal Family will be heading to Sandringham with King Charles for their traditional Christmas celebrations, but it remains to be seen if Harry and Meghan will score an invite. Meanwhile, it has been rumoured that with Harry reportedly spending time staying with his uncle Earl Spencer on his secret visit to the UK to attend a family funeral – a Christmas invitation could be forthcoming from him.
However, spending time in the UK with his wife and children poses a huge problem for Harry as he previously said it was too dangerous for him to bring them to his homeland, as they are not automatically entitled to police protection when in the UK.
And speaking to The Sun, royal biographer Ingrid Seward explained: “There’s the problem of the security which is still not solved, and Harry says he won’t bring his wife and children back here until he feels that he is in a secure position. I do think that Harry and Meghan have a dilemma with their family life, because the children are getting older, and the children are probably absolutely intrigued to know what their cousins are like. They wouldn’t remember them.
“And I think that maybe an invitation from Charles Spencer might be attractive, and they would meet other cousins. But then it’s going to raise a lot of questions. Is Harry going to see his father? Is he going to see any other members of his family? So I would think at the moment they’re undecided. They seem to make a lot of fairly last-minute decisions in their lives.”
It has previously been reported that unless Harry can overturn a ruling by the Home Office that he is not immediately entitled to police protection when in the UK – he does not feel he can bring Meghan, Archie and Lilibet to his homeland.
Harry had been taking legal action over the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) after being told he would no longer be given the “same degree” of publicly-funded protection when in the country.
Harry’s lawyers had previously told the High Court that he was “singled out” and treated “less favourably” in the decision to change the level of his taxpayer-funded personal security. They said a failure to carry out a risk analysis and fully consider the impact of a “successful attack” on him meant the approach to his protection was “unlawful and unfair”.
The court was told that Harry believes his children, Archie and Lilibet cannot “feel at home” in the UK if it is “not possible to keep them safe” there. At a previous hearing of the case, in a written statement, Harry said: “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020. The UK is my home.
“The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home, as much as where they live at the moment in the United States. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
In a ruling issued in February, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane rejected the duke’s case that he was “singled out” and treated “less favourably” by the decision and concluded Ravec’s approach was not irrational nor procedurally unfair. Harry has announced he will appeal the decision.
