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Why Meghan and Harry Aren't at the Queen's Diplomatic Reception

Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images
Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

  • The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not attending the queen’s Christmas diplomatic reception for the second year in a row.

  • The couple is currently abroad with baby Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, spending the holidays with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.


The queen’s annual Christmas diplomatic reception, one of the most anticipated events on the royal calendar, is taking place at Buckingham Palace tonight. More than 1,000 guests are expected to attend, including the highest-ranking members of the royal family, global diplomats, ambassadors, and government officials. Two people who will not be at the reception, however, are the Duke and Duchess and Sussex.

Both Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry are currently vacationing in the United States while on a sabbatical from their royal duties. The two, along with baby Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, are reported to be spending time with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, in California for a period of rest and relaxation before returning to royal goings-on after the holidays.

It’s not the first time Meghan and Harry have skipped the royal reception; the two didn’t attend the affair last year either. Instead, both attended a carol service in support of a charity dear to Harry, the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, which provides educational support for children in Uganda with Harry as its patron.

Photo credit: Stuart C. Wilson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stuart C. Wilson - Getty Images

Recently, The Telegraph reported that Meghan was using part of the pair’s break to plan the U.S. expansion of the Sussex Royal Foundation, with Meghan supposedly orchestrating the Stateside launch of their official charity to become “one of the biggest and most successful philanthropic organisations in the world.” A source told BAZAAR.com, however, that the report was false and the family are “very much on a break,” focusing only on spending time together as a family during the holiday season.

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