This year will mark the first time Harry and Meghan will spend Christmas in the US, having stepped down as senior royals earlier this year. As such, they are expected to spend the festive period at their Santa Barbara home.
The coronavirus pandemic may be likely to ensure the couple have a quiet time.
In ordinary times, however, Meghan has revealed how she likes to prepare her home for the various guests and visitors that Christmas usually brings.
Speaking to Grazia before the pandemic, the Duchess provided readers with festive tips relating to food, decorations, and interior design.
While Harry and Meghan now reside in one of California’s opulent celebrity neighbourhoods, the Duchess previously advised on how to keep things low-cost and simple by repurposing household items for festive events.
She told Grazia that certain bar and cocktail essentials such as Moscow mule mugs or mint julep cups can be turned into “low vases” for tabletop decorations.
The former actress said these could be filled with “savoury herbs or all-white florals”.
For a more formal touch, Meghan said silver serving trays for platters can be bought “from flea markets or Etsy to add formality to hors d’ouevres passing.”
In other news, Harry and Meghan recently hit back at claims they were planning to create an honours list to compete with the one usually read out by Queen Elizabeth II at New Year, as well as on her official birthday in June.
, which made the claims, stated that the couple had “filed papers” in the US to this end and that the awards were to do with their Archewell non-profit organisation.
However, the Duke and Duchess denied they were intending to compete with the UK honours list.
A press secretary for Archewell said in a statement: “We look forward to sharing more about Archewell’s work in the weeks ahead but any suggestion that it is intended to rival the UK honours list is false.”
Meanwhile in the UK, coronavirus restrictions have disrupted the royal tradition of celebrating Christmas at Sandringham.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen and Prince Philip will instead spend the festive holidays at Windsor Castle for the first time in decades.
The two royals have spent Christmas at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk every year since 1988.
