Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Christmas Plans Sound Seriously Wholesome

Christmas is usually a time where you can kick back, relax, and catch up with loved ones. However, when you’re a royal, the festive period can look a little different. Regal balls and royal visits may look like fun and games, with a small baby they must be pretty tiring. So, where are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spending Christmas 2019? This festive season marks baby Archie's first Christmas and while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have been busy with royal duties through 2019 they’re taking time out to make the occasion extra special for their son.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex embody everything modern about the royals and this extends to making their own Christmas plans. A royal spokesperson confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be taking Archie to Canada for the festive season and will take some time out up until the New Year to celebrate as a family and see friends. Before she was engaged to the Duke of Sussex, Meghan Markle lived in Canada and has a lot of friends there. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally welcomed the royal family to the country on twitter on Dec. 21 and wrote, “Prince Harry, Meghan, and Archie, we’re all wishing you a quiet and blessed stay in Canada. You’re among friends, and always welcome here.”

Archie was born in May 2019 and will spend his first Christmas with family in Canada. The Express said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be joined by Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland. She’s also got a lot of very close friends in Canada. The royal correspondent for ABC News, Omid Scobie tweeted a statement from a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In it it said, “as has been reported, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private family time in Canada. The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to them both. While this email confirms the country they are taking their family time in, for security reasons we will not be releasing any further details and request that their privacy is respected.”

It’s tradition for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to spend Christmas together at their estate in Sandringham. The family have gathered there for festive celebrations since 1988 and the Duke of Sussex usually joins them, with the Duchess of Sussex also attending for the previous two years. It’s thought that the William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their children will be in attendance this year. However, they have also skipped the traditional Sandringham Christmas in the past, opting to spend Dec. 25 with Kate's family in 2012.

While Christmas can be hectic at the best of times, there’s no doubt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are coming to the end of a very busy period. Writing in Vanity Fair royal author and commentator Katie Nicholl said, “now on a sabbatical from royal duties until January, Meghan, Harry, and Archie spent their first Thanksgiving as a family in the States with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and are now enjoying some downtime. Given their whirlwind year it’s no wonder they are trading a busy royal Christmas for a more low key family affair.”

While being a royal must come with also sorts of fabulous perks, getting in some quality family time over the festive season is so important. It sounds like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a magical Christmas in Canada planned for their family of three before they have to return to their royal duties.