On November 19, 2025, Meghan Markle offered a festive treat to her followers by sharing the trailer for her upcoming Netflix holiday special, With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. The sneak peek, posted to her Instagram, captured a rare and tender moment as she and Prince Harry exchanged a kiss in their kitchen—a public display of affection that’s sure to catch even the most casual royal watcher’s attention. But while Meghan was busy embracing the spirit of the season, her husband Prince Harry was making headlines of his own, drawing both praise and controversy for his recent travels and decisions.
Meghan’s Netflix special, set to air on December 3, 2025, promises a warm, inviting look at her favorite Christmas traditions, seasonal crafts, and cherished family recipes. The show’s trailer opens with Meghan reflecting on the meaning of the holidays: “I love the holiday season. It’s about finding time to connect with the people we love. Embracing traditions and making new ones. Let the festivities commence and embrace the special touches that bring you joy.” According to Netflix, the program will showcase the Duchess sharing her holiday favorites with both old friends and new faces, turning her kitchen into a hub of laughter, creativity, and culinary delights.
Joining Meghan for the festivities are a roster of high-profile guests. Tennis champion Naomi Osaka, celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, hospitality expert Will Guidara, philanthropist Kelly McKee Zajfen, and Meghan’s longtime friend Lindsay Roth all make appearances, helping her whip up seasonal foods, crafts, and hosting tips designed to inspire viewers’ own celebrations. The trailer shows Meghan chopping ingredients, mixing cocktails, and carefully plating intricately decorated Christmas cookies. “Being a hostess or a host is about making people feel comfortable,” she says at one point, emphasizing her philosophy that, “You can do things that make people feel seen.”
The timing of the special’s release is especially notable. December 3 also marks the start of a three-day German State Visit to the UK, with King Charles and Queen Camilla set to host President Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender at Windsor Castle. It’s a busy, high-profile week for the royal family, and one that will see multiple branches of the House of Windsor in the global spotlight for very different reasons.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has been navigating his own share of public scrutiny. In early November, he traveled to Canada for a series of veterans events organized by the Canadian military charity True Patriot Love Foundation. There, he met with soldiers from the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, troops from the Royal Regiment of Canada, and veterans at Sunnybrook. Harry reportedly described meeting the veterans as a “highlight” of his visit, underscoring his ongoing commitment to supporting military communities.
However, the Canada trip quickly became a source of controversy. The journey coincided with Prince William’s five-day visit to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize Awards in Rio de Janeiro and the COP30 climate conference, where William delivered a keynote speech and visited the island of Paquetá to learn about its ecology. According to reports cited by People and The Times, some royal insiders alleged that Harry’s trip was a deliberate attempt to draw attention away from his brother’s environmental work—a claim Harry’s representatives have firmly denied.
Complicating matters further, reports surfaced that neither King Charles nor palace aides were informed in advance of Harry’s Canadian itinerary. The palace was said to be caught off guard when the news broke in the press, fueling speculation about ongoing tensions within the royal family. But Harry’s team quickly pushed back, insisting that the palace had been notified and that the timing of the trip was dictated by the charity’s schedule, not by any desire to upstage Prince William.
“The events were planned nearly a year ago. The date of the main event, the dinner, is set by the charity, not Prince Harry. The period of Remembrancetide traditionally extends from the 1-11 November and has done since 1918, over 100 years. He can’t choose to move those dates,” Harry’s spokesperson told the Daily Mail. They added that Harry’s unique security situation—he is “not afforded the same level of security and protection as other working members of the Royal Family”—means that details of his engagements can only be released to the public at the last minute. “That the period of time in which we can release details of events is much more truncated than it is for His Majesty the King or the Prince of Wales.”
Despite the reassurances, confusion lingered. According to People, “Harry’s trip to Canada caught palace aides by surprise, despite the Duke of Sussex’s team saying it had informed them.” The Times echoed this, noting that while Harry’s team insists it notified the palace, “no one at the palace received the memo, leading to questions as to whether it was ever sent.” The episode is reminiscent of a previous incident in which Harry’s trip to Angola inadvertently overshadowed Queen Camilla’s official birthday portrait, prompting him to agree to share his diary with the royal family as a gesture toward reconciliation.
Adding to the drama, Prince Harry also faced criticism for attending Kris Jenner’s star-studded James Bond-themed birthday party on the eve of Remembrance Sunday, November 9, 2025. Some royal fans saw the move as insensitive, given the solemnity of the weekend, but others defended Harry, noting his recent participation in veterans events in Canada as evidence of his ongoing respect for military traditions.
As the Sussexes continue to chart their own course—both professionally and personally—their actions are scrutinized through a uniquely intense lens. Meghan’s Netflix special, with its focus on warmth, tradition, and togetherness, offers a sharp contrast to the headlines swirling around Harry’s travels and the persistent questions about his relationship with the rest of the royal family.
Yet, despite the controversies and misunderstandings, there are glimmers of hope for reconciliation. Harry’s willingness to share his schedule with the palace, and Meghan’s efforts to create joyful, inclusive celebrations, suggest that both are seeking ways to bridge divides—whether within their own family or with the wider public. For now, all eyes will be on December 3, as the Sussexes and the senior royals each step into the holiday season, their separate paths once again converging in the global spotlight.
In the end, the holiday season may prove to be a time for both reflection and renewal—a chance for the royal family to embrace old traditions, make new ones, and perhaps, find common ground amid the festivities.