Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan family celebration with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

Like millions of families across the US, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no doubt be spending the holidays with their loved ones, including their children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.

Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, reside in Montecito, Santa Barbara and last year they enjoyed the Fourth of July parade in their hometown.

Harry carried daughter Lilibet, who looked sweet in a blue paisley-print dress, as the family-of-four joined locals to watch the line-up of vintage automobiles and floats from community organisations.

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But while they have previously stayed at home to celebrate America's Independence Day, the Sussexes have also travelled for the holidays in the past.

In 2022, Harry and Meghan celebrated the Fourth of July in the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming, with the Duchess' longtime friend, Heather Dorak.

The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and have been embracing their new American lifestyle in California.

Independence Day in London

Harry revealed in his memoir, Spare, released in January 2023, that one of his and Meghan's first dates in 2016 happened to fall on the Fourth of July.

Earlier in the day, the former Suits star had cheered on her friend, Serena Williams, on Centre Court at Wimbledon, before meeting with the Prince for a second time at Soho House in London.

Harry recalled: "This time I was already there - waiting. Smiling. Proud of myself. [Meghan] walked in, wearing a pretty blue sundress with white pinstripes. She was aglow. I stood and said: 'I bear gifts.' A pink box. I held it forward. She shook it. 'What's this?' 'No, no, don’t shake it!' We both laughed. 

"She opened the box. Cupcakes. Red, white and blue cupcakes, to be exact. In honor of Independence Day. I said something about the Brits having a very different view of Independence Day from the Yanks, but, oh, well. She said they looked amazing."

Meghan celebrated the US holiday as a member of the royal family in 2018, just weeks after her wedding to Harry.

Stepping out for the Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at Kensington Palace the day after the Fourth of July, Meghan paid tribute to her home country in a yellow dress by American designer, Brandon Maxwell.

In 2019, Meghan once again celebrated the US holiday at Wimbledon with her university friends,  Genevieve Hillis and Lindsay Roth. Their fun outing took place two days before Archie's christening in Windsor.

Last public appearance

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's last major outing together was on their three-day tour of Nigeria in May, which largely focused on Harry's Invictus Games.

Meghan has been teasing her upcoming launch of her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, while Harry is set to receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPYs for his work with the Invictus Games on 11 July.

The Duke also appeared in a moving video for Scotty's Little Soldiers, as he spoke with the charity's founder Nikki Scott about the impact of bereavement on children.