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5 year oldThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been urged to return from holiday for what could be “one last family Christmas”.
With 98-year-old Prince Philip in hospital for a fourth night and the Queen, 93, looking frail, some royals have said Harry and Meghan should break their six-week Canadian visit to spend Christmas at Sandringham, The Sun reports.
UPDATE: Prince Philip leaves hospital to join Queen
One family member told a friend: “Even before the Duke became ill, many were at a loss as to why Harry and Meghan would miss what could be one of the last family Christmases with the Queen and Philip.”
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“They are absolutely entitled to a proper break and privacy, but they’ve had six weeks off.
“What about some lovely family photos and memories with baby Archie?,” the source continued.
“Many of the family were very keen to see him over Christmas but were told they couldn’t as they were abroad.
“There is a feeling they are being inconsiderate and selfish given the Queen and Philip’s advancing age.
“They’re in Canada to process everything – including whether they still want to be working royals.
“But they really should have thought about returning.”
It was revealed last month that Harry and Meghan would miss the Queen’s traditional Christmas Day gathering at Sandringham.
It’s understood Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland will join the Sussexes for Christmas Day, and the young family will also spend time with Meghan’s best friend Jessica Mulroney and her family.
Harry and Meghan’s decision to spend Christmas away from the royal family follows a year of highs and lows for the Sussexes. In May they welcomed their first child, Archie, a joyous occasion. But in October, in a teary interview for documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Meghan confessed to the toll the relentless public scrutiny had taken on her.
“I never thought it would be easy,” she said of life in the royal family under the spotlight of the British tabloid press and social media, “but I thought it would be fair.”
Meanwhile, keen royal watchers were quick to pick up on a glaring detail during a preview of the Queen’s annual Christmas address, reigniting feud rumours that have plagued the family all year.
Filmed in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle and to be broadcast on Christmas Day, the footage shows framed photos in the background.
Despite there being pictures of Prince Charles and Camilla, the Cambridges, Prince Philip and even King George IV, there is not a single photo of Harry, Meghan or baby Archie.
In her address, Queen Elizabeth acknowledged that 2019 had been “quite bumpy”, a comment that could be interpreted as a reference to the UK as it struggles through Brexit or perhaps, more personal, the intense public scrutiny of the Sussexes and strain between brothers Harry and William.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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