Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have decided not to spend the Christmas holiday with the royal family and will instead spend it with Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland. The Sussexes have come under fire from some critics who think they’ve snubbed Queen Elizabeth but it turns out that Prince William and Kate Middleton have skipped out on the queen’s Christmas festivities in the past.

The palace confirmed their Christmas plans

After various outlets reported that the couple would not be at Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas celebration at Sandringham, Buckingham Palace confirmed it in a statement to People: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month. Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria Ragland.”

The statement further explained: “This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen.”

Prince William and Middleton have opted out of the royal festivities

The statement mentioned “precedent set previously by other members of the royal family,” which points to Prince William and Middleton spending time with Middleton’s family rather than stay with the queen in Sandringham during past Christmases.

Royal expert Kate Williams discussed the matter with Sky News, sharing: “Harry and Meghan are going to stay with Doria as opposed to staying with the Queen in Sandringham. And it really interests me that this has been such a big story. Because, of course, William and Kate have repeatedly stayed with the Middletons over Christmas and not with the Queen.”

She added: “They made that decision for family time. We’ve also seen Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall do it as well. So I find it quite surprising that it seems like such a royal catastrophe when Harry and Meghan do exactly what Kate and William have done themselves.”

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This morning, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was christened in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle at an intimate service officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are so happy to share the joy of this day with members of the public who have been incredibly supportive since the birth of their son. They thank you for your kindness in welcoming their first born and celebrating this special moment. Their Royal Highnesses feel fortunate to have enjoyed this day with family and the godparents of Archie. Their son, Archie, was baptised wearing the handmade replica of the royal christening gown which has been worn by royal infants for the last 11 years. The original Royal Christening Robe, made of fine Honiton lace lined with white satin, was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841 and first worn by her eldest daughter. It was subsequently worn for generations of Royal christenings, including The Queen, her children and her grandchildren until 2004, when The Queen commissioned this handmade replica, in order for the fragile historic outfit to be preserved, and for the tradition to continue. Photo credit: Chris Allerton ©️SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 6, 2019 at 8:14am PDT

Prince Harry and Markle need this break

Prince Harry and Markle are using this holiday season to take a six-week break from their royal duties and travel to the US.

The extended break comes as no surprise, given Prince Harry and Markle’s emotional interviews during their documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, in which they touched upon the intense public scrutiny they face.

Markle told the interviewer how she is struggling with life in the spotlight, explaining: “Any woman, especially when they’re pregnant, you’re really vulnerable and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know… especially as a woman, it’s really, it’s a lot, so you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed its, yeah, well I guess.”

She added, “And also thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m OK. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.”

When the interviewer asked her, “And the answer is? Would it be fair to say, ‘Not really OK,’ as in, it’s really been a struggle?,” she answered, “yes.”