Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland has reportedly been invited by the Queen to spend Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham.
Doria, 62, the only member of Meghan’s family to attend her wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May, has reportedly been asked along as a ‘mark of respect’.
According to a report in the Sunday Express, a source said it was a ‘very thoughtful gesture’ towards the pregnant Duchess.
The move is somewhat unprecedented, as a member outside of the Royal family has not been invited to stay at the Norfolk estate during the Christmas period before.
Kate Middleton’s family has joined the royals at church on Christmas morning previously but have stayed at nearby Anmer Hall rather than Sandringham itself.
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The source is reported to have said that the Queen’s invitation showed respect and acknowledged that Meghan would be spending Christmas away from family in Britain.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace has so far declined to comment.
Following weeks of drama surrounding Meghan’s father Thomas Markle and her extended and estranged family members in the US, Doria was praised for her composed and graceful appearance at the royal wedding.
Mr Markle was due to walk his daughter down the aisle but pulled out at the last minute after it emerged he had staged paparazzi pictures in the days prior to it.
He later said he had apologised to both Harry and Meghan and denied staging the shots for money, insisting they were taken in a bid to ‘change his image’.
Doria joined her daughter at an outdoor reception at Kensington Palace in September to mark the launch of a charity cookbook to help those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
The duchess, who worked with Grenfell campaigners on the book, Together, said it had been a ‘labour of love’.
Doria introduced herself to guests on the day as ‘Meg’s mom’.
She reportedly said she was ‘head over heels’ with pride as Meghan helped prepare lunch for guests.
Meghan and Harry recently returned to the UK from their mammoth Commonwealth tour and will be spending their first Christmas together as husband and wife in December.
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