Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing for a holiday celebration in Montecito, California, with their children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three. Despite spending his fifth Christmas away from the UK, Harry remains determined to incorporate royal traditions into their family celebrations.
In his memoirs SpareHarry detailed his commitment to preserving festive customs, even after stepping down as a senior royal. He recalled their first Christmas in California in 2020, noting, “It was Christmas Eve. We FaceTimed with several friends, including a few in Britain. We watched Archie run around the tree and open presents, true to Windsor family tradition. The family continues the German-inspired royal custom of exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve.
Meghan recently shared her excitement for the holidays with their growing children. “Archie and Lilibet are now three and five, so every year it gets better,” she said. Marie-Claire. She described the joy of experiencing Christmas through her children’s eyes, adding: “They’re at the age where I look forward to seeing it through their lens every year.”
The couple makes sure their children experience the same traditions they cherished growing up, including decorating the tree, leaving carrots for Santa’s reindeer, and hanging stockings filled with gifts. Harry previously shared that their first Christmas tree in the United States came from a pop-up lot in Santa Barbara, although they have since received spruce trees from Pines & Needles.
Family gatherings in Montecito often include Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who lives nearby. Meghan described their celebrations as a mix of food, games and music, noting: “Someone always brings a guitar, it’s fun.”
Although separated from the royal family’s celebrations at Sandringham, Prince Harry and Meghan created their own meaningful holiday traditions in California, blending royal customs with new memories for their young family.
