The possibility of Meghan Markle spending the holidays with Prince Harry and his family was rumored last week, but now it’s officially safe to say that she should find a place for her stocking at the Queen’s country house. PEOPLE has confirmed with a Kensington Palace spokeswoman that Meghan, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton, will join the royals at their annual Christmas celebration at the Sandringham estate.
Although it’s admittedly tough to spend your first Christmas with your fiancé’s family, Meghan now faces the extra pressure of being the first unofficial partner of a royal to spend the special day at Sandringham. Previously, a “spouses only” rule has been in place, and the tradition was so strict that, in 2010, even Kate, William’s college sweetheart, spent the couple’s last Christmas before marriage with her own family. Sources expect that the rules were bent for Meghan because she doesn’t have any family in the U.K. Now, it appears that we’ll receive the gift of seeing our first sisters-in-law fashion show with her and Kate!
“You can expect to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Meghan on Christmas Day,” the palace representative said, referring to the royals’ traditional walk to and from services at St. Mary Magdalene Church, which is near Queen Elizabeth’s estate.
This year marks quite the full house at Sandringham—last year, William, Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte celebrated with Kate’s family, while the rest of the royals appeared at church without the Queen, who was recovering from a bad cold. With the entire family expected to greet the public on this Christmas morning, there’s also a possibility of Meghan and Harry staying with William and Kate at their own home on the estate. Um, I want to be the fly on the wall when George and Charlotte are opening their Christmas presents.
What with a royal wedding and a royal baby expected in 2018, I’m psyched for the family’s Christmas appearance to top off this exciting past year.