Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing for a festive holiday season in Montecito, California, with their children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three. Despite spending their fifth Christmas away from the UK, Harry remains dedicated to incorporating royal traditions into their family celebrations.
In his memoir Spare, Harry 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 running around the tree and opened presents, keeping to the Windsor family tradition.” The family continues the German-inspired royal custom of exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve.
Meghan recently shared her excitement about the holidays with their growing children. “Archie and Lilibet are now three and five, so every year it gets better,” she told Marie Claire. She described the joy of experiencing Christmas through her children’s eyes, adding, “They’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.”
The couple ensures 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 Stateside Christmas tree came from a pop-up lot in Santa Barbara, though they’ve since had spruces delivered from Pines & Needles.
Family gatherings in Montecito often include Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who lives nearby. Meghan described their celebrations as a blend of food, games, and music, noting, “Someone always brings a guitar—fun.”
Although separated from the royal family’s celebrations at Sandringham, Prince Harry and Meghan have created their own meaningful holiday traditions in California, blending royal customs with new memories for their young family.
