rince Harry’s Christmas celebrations with Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, in Montecito are a world apart from the festive traditions he grew up with at Sandringham. However, there’s one childhood Christmas memory he’s happy to leave in the past—a peculiar gift from his great-aunt, Princess Margaret.
In his memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex recalled receiving a biro pen adorned with a small rubber fish from the late Queen’s sister. Harry, 40, described it as a “cold-blooded” gift and admitted that his relationship with Princess Margaret was distant. “I felt nothing for her, except a bit of pity and a lot of jumpiness,” he wrote.
Despite the quirky gift, Harry and Meghan still observe one cherished royal tradition during their Californian Christmas celebrations: opening presents on Christmas Eve. In Spare, Harry described how this German-inspired custom has been a constant throughout his life, writing about his childhood memories at Sandringham. “Everyone began opening at the same time. A free-for-all, with scores of family members talking at once and tearing at wrapping paper,” he recalled.
The tradition has carried over to their new life in Montecito. Harry shared a heartwarming moment from their first Christmas in California, saying, “We FaceTimed with several friends, including a few in Britain. We watched Archie running around the tree. And we opened presents. Keeping to the Windsor family tradition.”
This year, Meghan expressed her excitement for Christmas with their children. “Now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year,” the Duchess told Marie Claire.
While Harry’s childhood gift from Princess Margaret may not make a comeback for Archie and Lilibet, the Sussexes’ adaptation of royal traditions ensures a festive blend of their past and present.
