Prince William & Kate Middleton Reportedly ‘Somewhat Relieved’ Over Meghan Markle & Harry’s Christmas Absence

It appears that Meghan Markle is set to celebrate Christmas this year in a non-royal way, as she and Prince Harry are expected to head to the United States for the occasion. And according to Closer Weekly, Prince William and Kate Middleton have their opinions on the matter.

“William and [Duchess] Kate are somewhat relieved that they won’t be at Sandringham. William does however feel that it’ll be strange not having his brother around,” said a source.

The source also noted that William thinks that his brother should enjoy this quality time with his wife and son, noted Fox News.

“Sandringham is always fun, but it can also be quite stressful and very formal,” they added.

It’s not surprising that William would think that Harry’s absence would be “strange.” After all, Harry has been present at Sandringham for all of his Christmases, save for 2012 when he was in Afghanistan to celebrate with the British troops.

And if the future king and queen are feeling “somewhat relieved,” it could be for a number of reasons. For one, Meghan and Harry have been more vocal than is typical for royals when pushing back against the media. This has caused its own drama, although plenty of high-profile politicians, celebrities, and other figures have come out in support of the duchess, especially against the alleged racist coverage in the media.

The rumors of a rift within the royal family have been brewing for months. Whether it’s a supposed rift between William and Harry, or between Kate and Meghan, there’s been plenty of speculation that they’re not all getting along as well as they would seem to be.

With the Sussexes jetting away on one of the larger royal celebrations of the year, it’s a literal distance that is between the couples. However, these are all rumors, and the group seem to be getting along fine during public appearances.

And if it’s true that William believes that this private time away is important for his brother, the relief could simply be knowing that the duo will be celebrating the holiday in their own special way, out of the public eye.

It’s also worth noting that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States. Considering that the British don’t celebrate the holiday, it seemed only fitting. Prior to Thanksgiving, however, it was believed that the couple would be in the U.K., only making the trek to the U.S. for the Christmas holidays.

They reportedly spent time on Thursday with Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, in a private home.