Following the Queen’s recent hospital visit, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be more keen on returning to the UK for Christmas to spend it with her.
Following their decision to leave the Fold, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the United States and haven’t returned to Britain as a family unit since 2019. Lilibet, their second child, was born in June, but she has yet to meet her great-grandmother the Queen.
Speculation Harry and Meghan may choose to marry in the United Kingdom. After canceling a trip to Northern Ireland and spending a night in hospital as a precaution, the Queen’s Christmas wish list is growing.
While the Palace has been quick to dismiss concerns about the monarch’s health, insisting that she is “in good spirits,” her recent hospital visit serves as a stark reminder of her advanced age.
Following the cancellation of last year’s traditional royal get-together due to COVID-19, the Queen may be overjoyed at the prospect of her family being reunited under one roof this Christmas.
Despite the drama that has engulfed the couple since they stepped down from royal duties last year, Prince Harry maintains a close relationship with his grandmother, with the Queen insisting that the Sussexes are still cherished members of her family.
Harry and Meghan welcomed their daughter Lillibet into the world earlier this year after relocating to Los Angeles in March 2020.
Meghan has yet to return to the United Kingdom since their move.
Harry has visited the country twice, once for Prince Philip’s funeral and once to unveil a statue of his mother, Princess Diana.
Lillibet, who was born last June in Santa Barbara and named after the Queen, has never been.
The four-month-old would meet her namesake for the first time on a return trip.
There has long been speculation about whether the Duke and Duchess of York would return to the UK for the christening of their daughter, raising concerns about whether the Queen, who is now 95, will ever meet her great-granddaughter.
However, a Sussex spokesperson told the Telegraph earlier this month that claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had already planned to stay in the United States were “mere speculation.”
They stated that the christening arrangements were still being finalized.
On Wednesday, the Queen was admitted to hospital for the first time in nearly a decade for an overnight stay.
She was forced to cancel a trip to Northern Ireland after doctors advised her to take a few days off instead.
Last Tuesday, the 95-year-old monarch was seen with a walking stick as she attended a service at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the Royal British Legion’s centenary.
She entered the Abbey via the Poet’s Yard entrance rather than the Great West Door, taking a shorter route.
This is the first time in twenty years that the monarch has been seen with a cane.
The decision to admit the monarch to hospital on Wednesday is thought to have been taken as a precaution.
“Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen went to hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today (Thursday) and remains in good spirits,” the Palace said in a statement.
The 95-year-old monarch’s health issues come after three weeks of royal engagements, with more than a dozen in-person and virtual engagements since returning to work after her summer break at the beginning of October.
The palace has stated that she has returned to “light-work,” but has not stated why they are concerned.
