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Before “the smearing of Duchess Meghan” really took hold in the British papers for the past month, there was an interesting story about how the Queen was a big fan of Doria Ragland, and the Queen wanted to ensure that Meghan and Doria could spend Christmas together, so the Queen invited Doria to Sandringham for Christmas. As I pointed out at the time, the Countess of Wessex is allowed to invite her widower father to Sandringham too, so it made some kind of sense (to me) that Meghan would be allowed to invite her only close family. Only now royal reporter Victoria Murphy says Doria probably won’t come? But the wording being used it weird:

Despite rumours that Her Maj had bent the rules by inviting Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland to join in, according to one royal expert has claimed this isn’t the case. Speaking to Yahoo UK’s The Royal Box, Victoria Murphy explained it’s unlikely Doria was ever invited, as it’s “not usual” for in-laws to attend.

“My understanding is that she’s not going,” said Victoria. “I don’t think that’s because they weren’t able to or anything like that, I just think it’s not usual for in-laws to go. I know it was suggested that she was going to go but that was never confirmed.”

Royal biographer Duncan Larcombe added: “That would have been such a break, such an enormous break from royal tradition… She was never going to go. That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be welcome and she is very welcome within the royal fold but Sandringham’s special.”

[From The Sun]

Does any reporter know for sure or are they just shutting down the story because “it’s not usual for in-laws to go”? Doria has been making some quiet trips to the UK since her daughter married Harry, and I tend to believe that Doria will be in England for Christmas or around Christmas too – maybe she’ll be at Sandringham, maybe she won’t. But I’m sure Meghan will make her mom a priority around a holidays.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Avalon Red.
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