Apparently, King Charles didn’t invite Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to the royal Christmas

With the holidays approaching, it has been reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not plan to visit the royal family at Sandringham this Christmas. A source he talks to People said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will once again spend the holidays in California. The royal family’s last Christmas was in 2018.

The King and Prince Harry are known to have last met in February this year, shortly after Charles was diagnosed with cancer. But a source close to the Duke said People that the King is not responding to phone calls and letters, and communication is alleged to have broken down between father and son.

“It’s going ‘unavailable right now,'” the insider claimed at the time. “His calls go unanswered. He tried to contact about the King’s health, but those calls also go unanswered.”

Sussex were too uninvited at Trooping the Color in June, the King’s annual birthday celebration, Harry also did not meet his father when he was in the UK for the Invictus Games, due to the King’s “full schedule”.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, however, plan to be at Sandringham with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Kate Middleton recently completed her own cancer treatment, announcing the end of chemotherapy in September, and is planning a festive holiday. The Princess will host her traditional Together Christmas carol service on December 6.

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan stepped back from their duties as working members of the royal family and decided to move to Montecito, California with their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three years. With this change also came a change to their level of automatic security in the UK, which is said to be a source of contention. The Duke has concerns about his family’s safety, making it difficult to visit and stay connected.

Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, the lone hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.