Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and baby Archie won’t spend Christmas with Queen

Royal experts say Meghan and Harry have decided against Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham because it can be “quite stressful”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not join the Queen for Christmas, The Sun reports.

They have chosen to spend baby Archie’s first festive season away from Sandringham.

The Sussexes could stay at home in Windsor or travel abroad to be with Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland.

A source said the couple — parents to six-month-old Archie — “needed to recharge their batteries”.

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The new parents plan to spend their Christmas relaxing as a family. Picture: AFP.

But their decision will do little to heal the rifts that have opened up with the rest of the Royal Family.

The couple are taking a six-week break after Sunday when Harry, 35, attends a Royal Albert Hall event.

It was thought they would spend Thanksgiving in the US with Doria, 63, and return for Christmas at Sandringham.

But they informed Her Majesty, 93, they will not be joining her and Prince Philip, 98.

“They need some time away to recharge and decide their plans for next year,” a royal source said.

The move to opt-out of a big royal Christmas may exacerbate the highly publicised “royal rift”. Picture: Getty Images.

Harry has always spent Christmas at the Queen’s Norfolk home, except for 2012 when he was in Afghanistan — and for the past two years he has been joined by Meghan, 38.

Meghan has attended two Christmases with the Queen in the past, but this year, she and Harry will do their own thing. Picture: Getty Images.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward said: “Christmas at Sandringham can be quite stressful so perhaps they don’t want to go with Archie at such a young age.

“Having said that, Sandringham has played host to many many children through the ages and is well set up for them.

“I think it’s sad they don’t want to be part of the family gathering, particularly now the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are in their dotage.

“The Queen might be a little hurt but she’s far too gracious to ever let it show or be known.”

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Royal experts say the Queen might be “hurt” by the decision. Picture: Getty Images.

Meghan and Harry also skipped the royals’ annual holiday in Balmoral this year.

“It does seem to be nothing to do with Archie and to do with their own personal feelings,” Ms Seward added.

Meghan recently opened up about the difficulty of being a royal and facing constant scrutiny. Picture: Getty Images.

Former US actress Meghan revealed in an ITV interview this year how the “British stiff upper lip” was “damaging” — causing concern among royals.

One insider said: “That’s the very essence of this family.”

Harry also admitted he and William were on “different paths”.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission