How this year has flown! Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and baby Archie are about to celebrate their first Christmas as a family.
Another royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, are no strangers to family Christmases. The couple, who married in 2011, have three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Needless to say, the family of five have enjoyed their share of royal Christmases. Unlike Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be spending Archie's first Christmas with the royal family. This year, the couple have opted to spend the holiday with Markle's mother, Doria Ragland.
"Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess' mother Doria Ragland," a spokesperson for the couple announced in November, according to Insider. "This decision is in line with the precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen."
The first Christmas for Markle and Prince Harry as a family will be much more private than Middleton or Prince William's was after the birth of their first child. "I suppose the major difference between the Cambridge and the Sussex first Christmas as parents is that William and Catherine appeared in public at Sandringham among a large gathering of his family on Christmas Day 2013, leaving baby George at home while they went to church," Joe Little, managing editor at Majesty magazine told Insider.
"Six years later, Harry, Meghan, and Archie will spend the day in a very low-key way, privately, with her mother," Little continued. "Los Angeles, Frogmore Cottage or somewhere else? Those in the know are not letting on, but perhaps the Duke and Duchess's Instagram feed will provide us with a clue nearer the time."
As part of the Christmas Day royal tradition, the Royal family greets admirers while on their way to church. Markle has participated in this tradition with the other royals since being engaged to Prince Harry in 2017. The youngest of the Royals have yet to make an appearance at the church on Christmas with the royal family, though they were seen attending with Middleton's family in 2016, according to Insider.
Not officially confirmed, it has been speculated by some, including The Sun, that George and Charlotte may attend church with the Queen this year at her favourite church, St. Mary's Magdalene in Sandringham.
Traditions are very important to the royal family, and George, Charlotte, and Louis are no strangers to them. One, in particular, is having their own table for Christmas dinner. According to former royal chef, Carolyn Robb, who was employed by the royal family from 1987 to 2000, the children would eat at their own table and generally eat earlier than the older royals.
"It was very much along the traditional lines of children did their own thing, particularly at that time because there were quite a lot of small children," Robb told Insider. "So they would have an early meal."
When asked by Insider if such a tradition would continue today, Robb said it was a possibility. "Possibly, yes. They are quite young still, so it's possible they're not part of the main meal. But that's speculation on my part." Due to the fact that baby Archie will most likely be the only child in attendance with the Sussexes and Ragland, it is unlikely he will partake in this tradition.
Another tradition that Markle, Prince Harry, and Archie will be missing out on is the elaborate parties leading up to Christmas Day. To begin with, there is the annual Christmas party that is held for the palace staff that the Queen and immediate royal family attend. The Queen also holds a Christmas Eve private tea for the family during the day and a black-tie dinner with a reception in the evening, according to Insider.
"Most of the royals will arrive at [Sandringham] on Christmas Eve," Grant Harrold, former butler for Prince Charles, told Insider. "They will have an afternoon tea, which is traditionally held between 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M., where they will exchange gifts." Due to the fact that Markle and Prince Harry are so environmentally conscious and like to be as green as possible, this tradition is not likely to happen, according to Zoe Bosner, a parenting expert.
"Both parents are obviously passionate about the environment and I think this will be reflected in their gifts for Archie - traditional wooden toys made from sustainable wood, such as building blocks or an abacus, or personal keepsakes that can be treasured forever as a storybook," Bosner told Insider.
The director of the UK's leading parenting and pregnancy event, The Baby Show, went on to say, "At seven months, Archie will be really starting to explore his world as he'll be more mobile and possibly rolling, crawling or shuffling, so anything that will encourage gross motor skills is ideal." Bonser continued, "Balls and push along toys can be great for this age. Babies of all ages also love music, so books with nursery rhymes from both the UK and US or musical toys are ideal."
The final tradition the Sussex family will be missing out on are the photographs from the royal photographers, but it is likely photos of some kind will be taken to capture the magical day.
Needless to say, those who want to be in the know of how and where the royal family is spending their Christmas, will be tuned in to Instagram to see how the Queen, the Cambridge family, and the Sussex family celebrated the holidays.