Where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry Stand When It Comes to Christmas Presents This Year

Things may be frosty between Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth right now, but that doesn’t mean that Christmas traditions won’t be observed. Royal expert Neil Sean explained on his YouTube channel that the Queen will be sending gifts to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilbet, even though they will be staying home In the United States for the holiday.

“There will be some gifts but it will be very formal,” Sean said about the gift exchange with the Sussexes. “[The Queen] is far too gracious to be too childish not to include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the gift package. But let’s just say, whatever they do send each other over it will be at a distance.”

Due to her ongoing health issues, there has been much discussion about what Christmas traditions the queen will be able to observe this year. The 95-year-old monarch, who has been on “light” desk duty since her health concerns first arose and who has not made any public appearances since mid-October, has reportedly received the go-ahead from doctors to move forward with the royal family’s annual holiday travels and traditions.

According to the Daily Mail, Her Majesty’s holiday festivities will begin her private pre-festive season party, which she holds annually for extended family members. Due to the pandemic, however, the get-together hasn’t been held since 2019, with 2021 set to mark a return to normalcy despite the Queen’s recent health scares. A source did caution, however, that “it won’t be a normal Christmas, but like many families around the country, it will be as normal as it can get.” As such, the Queen is expected to host the party at Windsor Castle, where she has lived since the start of the pandemic, rather than Buckingham Palace.

Shortly after the party, the Queen will travel to her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk for Christmas, where she will be joined by other members of the royal family for the holiday. Due to her age and health, the monarch will forgo her typical travel by train and will instead fly to East Anglia by helicopter.

Outside of family events, the Daily Mail reports the public can expect to see Her Majesty as well, the first by way of her annual Christmas message. Recorded at Windsor Castle before she heads to her Sandringham Estate and broadcast to the Commonwealth of Nations, the Christmas message has been a yearly tradition dating back to 1957. It is expected that in her 2021 Christmas message, the Queen will reflect on the April death of her husband, Prince Philip, as well as the “heartening” show of community strength seen throughout the nation during the Covid pandemic.