Meghan Markle Shares the Christmas Tradition She Cherishes with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

Mar. 15, 2025

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Canada in February 2024.Photo:Getty Images

Getty Images

Meghan MarkleandPrince Harryare ushering in Christmas with a beloved tradition.

Last month, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her love for the holiday season and the memories she looks forward to making withPrince Archie, 5, andPrincess Lilibet, 3.

Meghan toldMarie Clairethat the family puts out “carrots for the reindeer” as one of their favorite traditions.

Of spending the holidays as a family of four, she said, “At first, I think as a mom with children you’re just enjoying having them there, but they’re not understanding everything that’s happening yet. But now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.”

“Every single holiday is a new adventure,” she added, stressing the importance of her kids experiencing the “magic” of traditions like “great recipes that they end up connecting to a formative memory.”

RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty

Archie and Lilibet appeared inthe 2024 Sussex holiday card— their first time to do so since 2021, the year Lili was born (and when she made her public photo debut). In the photo — one of six featured on Harry and Meghan’s holiday card this year — Archie and Lilibet have their backs to the camera (red hair on full display!) as they run towards Harry and Meghan, who greet them with open arms. The last time the kids were shown was in the couple’s 2022 Netflix docuseriesHarry & Meghan, released in December 2022 — two years prior.

PEOPLE understands that, while this card is meant for professional use, the family has sent a separate, private card to their close friends and family which will not be shared publicly.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry attend the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 2017 in Lille, France.Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

PEOPLE reported last month that Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, had not been invited to Christmas at Sandringham this year amid ongoing strained relations between Harry and his father,King Charles, and brotherPrince William.

Another sticking point for Harry is security for himself and his family, including children Prince Archie, 5, andPrincess Lilibet, 3, multiple sources told PEOPLE earlier this year.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the “Keynote: Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen,” during the SXSW 2024 Conference and Festivals at the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2024, in Austin, Texas.SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty

SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty

Harry last saw his father in February, not long afterCharles publicly announced his cancer diagnosison Feb. 5. Harry has returned to the U.K. multiple times since then, but has not met up with the King, and communication has deteriorated between the two since the February meeting. Those close to Harry say the monarch no longer takes his younger sons calls and is also not responding to his letters.

“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ ” a friend of Harry’s told PEOPLE earlier this year. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”

Sussex holiday card 2024.Archewell

Archewell

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Earlier this month, Prince Harry told Andrew Ross Sorkin atThe New York TimesDealBook Online Summit in New York Cityof life in the U.S., “I very much enjoy living here and bringing my kids up here. It’s a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live.”

“I feel as though it’s the life that my mom wanted for me,” he added, referring to his late motherPrincess Diana. “To be able to do the things I’m able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the U.K. — it’s huge. That is a fantastic opportunity, and I’m hugely grateful for that.”

source: people.com