Christmas lunch is already chaotic enough without having to dine with the most etiquette-obsessed family in the world. With all the rules, traditions and a weird amount of cutlery, a royal Christmas would be a lot for any outsider to handle. And Megan Markle is no exception.
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According to a new documentary series, A Very Royal Christmas: Sandringham Secrets, which explored all the structured ways the royals celebrate the festive season, the Duchess struggled with all the Christmas formalities.
During the documentary, royal commentator Richard Kay suggested that Christmas lunch “must have been an incredible ordeal for Meghan.”
“Being introduced (to the family), not just having to get used to these sort of foreign traditions, but then the whole obligations that come with celebrating with the Royal family where everything is just so.”
The commentator went on to suggest that the actress would no doubt have been very worried about putting a foot wrong.
Luckily for the Duchess, there will be no struggling to figure out which fork to use this year, for she and Harry are spending the festive season in the land of the free.
“There are currently no plans for them to return to the UK for Christmas,” an insider told Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl back in October.
“At this stage they are really enjoying their new life in California and their new home.”
It will be the second year in a row that the couple have not attended the traditional service, opting for a royal-free feast.
The news that the rogue royals will not be travelling back across the pond this Christmas has reportedly come as a blow to the boss of the palace herself.
“I am sure the Queen will be very sad not to see Harry and Meghan and her youngest great-grandchild,” royal biographer Penny Junor told Express.
However, Penny remains hopeful that all that pandemic video-call practice will be put to good use on the big day.
“I am sure (Harry and Meghan) will make a Zoom call to the royal family at some point on Christmas day,” the author said.
At least it’s easy to leave a video call if lunch with the royals gets too overwhelming.
