The Four British Christmas Traditions Prince Harry Yearns for Most After Spending His Seventh Festive Holiday Frozen Out of Royal Family

Royal exile Prince Harry marked his seventh consecutive Christmas away from the royal family, as tensions following "Megxit" continued to keep him and Meghan Markle apart from the Sandringham festivities.

And OK! can reveal the four things the red-headed pariah, 41, misses most about being away from his homeland over the holidays.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, once played a key role in the traditional royal Christmas celebrations, including his family's iconic walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, but he has not been present for the annual occasion since 2018.

According to one palace insider, former party-loving Harry is now pining for "pubs, roast dinners, jokes and royal traditions."

They added: "These are the four things everyone knows he misses most about royal Christmases – and, indeed, about life back in Britain. Harry used to love going down the pub with his rugby mates, talking sports and having laddish jokes. He just can't have that in California, and especially not among the woke crowd Meghan has surrounded him by. The food is also not the same Stateside, and Harry even misses all the royal traditions, even though some of them were a public duty and sometimes felt like a burden."

Another source said: "Basically, Harry is homesick and has been for years.

"He should just rip the plaster off, divorce Meghan and get back home to enjoy the life he lost," they added.

Harry spent Christmas in Montecito with Meghan and their two kids, Archie, 6, and Lilibet, 4.

He was seen making what critics sneered was a "bumbling" cameo in Meghan's Christmas special show for Netflix, in which she mocked his salad tastes and fed him spicy gumbo.

A source close to the Sussexes said Harry often reflects on the differences between his life in U.K. and the one he chose to live in California, away from the royal family, after the pair's dramatic 2020 "Megxit."

They added: "Harry often finds himself openly reminiscing about the laughter and lively atmosphere of family meals back home, and the feeling of everyone gathering together during Christmas in Britain and heading out to pubs. It's the little moments like jokes with friends he misses most."

Despite his nostalgia, Harry appears committed to creating a different kind of Christmas for his own family – but sources tell us it's a "front" to "hide his yearning for Britain."

Meghan's Netflix Christmas special saw her having to explain what a dinner cracker was to one pal as they made homemade versions of the gift-packed table decorations.

A source said: "It's moments like that that make Harry feel totally alienated as everyone in Britain knows what a Christmas cracker is."

Harry's longing for British traditions comes amid his ongoing estrangement from his father, King Charles, 77, and brother Prince William, 41.

He managed to land a meeting with Charles in 2025 – but it lasted only 54 minutes despite the father and son having not seen each other for almost two years.

Sources say there is now "virtually no chance" of Harry being able to return to the royal family, as he is perceived as untrustworthy and a traitor due to moves such as publishing his tell-all autobiography Spare.

Meanwhile, Meghan is still estranged from her father Thomas Markle Sr., 81, to whom she had a letter delivered after it emerged he had his leg amputated in a horror operation in December 2025 – leading to her being slammed for not visiting him in person.