There is now a possibility that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not have to rush back to California for Christmas after all, because Santa Claus may be coming to town a little early — and in this case, Santa happens to be King Charles, who reportedly wants to see Archie and Lilibet before the holidays. After all the complaints that Charles was ignoring his son and grandchildren, the latest claim paints a very different picture, with two royal sources saying that Harry and Meghan are expected to see the King and Queen Camilla before Christmas.

According to Naughty But Nice, the meeting is already being discussed inside royal circles, with sources claiming that time has been reserved in the royal diary for Charles and Camilla to see Harry and Meghan. The exact date and location are being kept under wraps, but the suggestion alone is significant because Harry and Meghan have now been back in Britain for about a month without having a face-to-face meeting with the King.

Charles May Finally Open The Door

“This is not a casual ‘let’s get together sometime,’” one royal source told Naughty But Nice. “Nobody drops in on the King. If Harry and Meghan are in Charles’s diary, it is because he wants them there. This is deliberate.”

That description makes the situation particularly interesting because it comes after months of speculation about the state of Harry’s relationship with his father and repeated suggestions that the Sussexes have felt overlooked by the King. Harry has spoken publicly about wanting his father back in his life, while security disagreements and the wider family tensions have made any meaningful reunion seem painfully complicated.

Yet now the possibility of a pre-Christmas meeting is hanging over the royal family, and the person apparently making room for it is Charles himself.

A second insider claimed that both sides are determined to keep the fragile reconciliation moving forward, saying, “It’s going to happen before Christmas. Two royal sources tell me it’s another sign that the Sussexes’ relationship with the King is slowly moving forward.”

That does not mean everything has suddenly been fixed. Far from it.

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The Grandchildren Could Be The Real Reason

Perhaps the most revealing part of the report is the suggestion that Charles’s motivation is not simply about repairing his relationship with Harry, but about finally spending time with his grandchildren.

“[The king] wants to see his grandkids,” the source said. “So they will see each other. I don’t know where this meeting is or when it’s going to be, but I’m told it is before Christmas.”

That one sentence changes the emotional picture considerably. For all the arguments, security disputes and painful family history surrounding Harry and Meghan, Archie and Lilibet remain Charles’s grandchildren, and the King has reportedly made no secret of his desire to maintain a relationship with them.

Harry and Meghan have also reportedly remained in contact with Charles, with the insider noting that Harry has spoken to his father since arriving in Britain, even though the pair had not yet met in person.

Could Harry And Meghan Actually Stay For Christmas?

That is where the story becomes especially intriguing. If Charles and Camilla really do meet Harry and Meghan before Christmas, the Sussexes may have less reason to make a quick return to California simply to spend the holidays with their children and then come back again later.

Nothing has been confirmed about where the family will spend Christmas, and there is no guarantee that a pre-holiday meeting means Harry and Meghan will remain in Britain for the celebrations themselves. But the possibility is certainly there, and after so much talk about Charles supposedly shutting the door on his son, the image of the King deliberately making time to see Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet before Christmas would represent a remarkable change in tone.

For a family that has spent years communicating through public statements, private sources and carefully chosen words, perhaps the biggest message of all would be a simple one: Charles wants to see his grandchildren.

And if Santa Claus really is coming to town early, Harry and Meghan may have one less reason to hurry back to California.