Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are keeping their holiday plans to their immediate family this season, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“William and Kate will be taking the kids to the walk at Sandringham [Estate] and mass at St Mary Magdalene” on Christmas Day, the insider says, noting, “Kate and William are looking forward to a break with the kids [since] this year has been fraught with tension.”
William and Kate, both 41, share children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. “They really need a couple weeks to spend with their nuclear family,” the source adds.
The couple, who tied the knot in April 2011, will also be keeping up their tradition of giving back, according to the insider. “Kate and William always want charity to be a part of the holidays for the kids, so they will be visiting a shelter for the unhoused,” the source shares.
“After the holiday, the family will all take a vacation somewhere in the commonwealth,” the insider tells Us. “There will be a beach and relaxing for the whole family.”
While the Prince and Princess of Wales are gearing up for a family-filled few weeks, those plans don’t extend to William’s brother, Prince Harry, or his wife, Meghan Markle.
“Kate and William do not plan on sending any gifts or cards to Harry and Meghan,” the source claims to Us. “There’s still no relationship there currently.” (There’s no confirmation on whether William and Kate will send gifts to Harry, 39, and Meghan’s two children: Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2.)
Tension between William and Kate and Harry and Meghan, 42, began to bubble over in 2020 after Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down as senior royals. After relocating to California, Harry revealed during a 2021 tell-all interview that his friction with his family in the U.K. had not gotten better.
Harry added fuel to the feud in January with the release of his memoir, Spare, in which he claimed William knocked him to the ground during a 2019 fight. Harry alleged that the argument stemmed from William calling Meghan “difficult” and “rude.”
Royal reporter Omid Scobie claimed in his November book, End Game, that William “believes Harry and Meghan blindsided the family” with their remarks about The Firm over the past few years.
The author further alleged that William thinks Harry has been “brainwashed” by an “army of therapists” since leaving the U.K. and therefore William says he “no longer even recognizes” his brother.
William and Kate ignored questions about the allegations in Endgame last month while attending the Royal Variety Performance in London. However, William and Kate were all smiles as they stepped out with their kids for the Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey earlier this month.
The family of five was photographed walking hand in hand outside the church before Louis pulled the focus by playfully blowing out sister Charlotte’s candle for all to see.
Watch the exclusive video above for more details on William and Kate’s Christmas itinerary.
With reporting by Travis Cronin
