Doria Ragland won’t be spending Christmas at Sandringham after all

While Doria Ragland has made the trip across the pond for her daughter’s royal wedding and the launch of her first solo charity project, Together: Our Community Cookbook, she sadly won’t be there for Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham.

Royal watchers were crossing their fingers to see Duchess Meghan’s mom join the group at St. Mary Magdalene church on Christmas Day, where Meghan gave her first public curtsy last year. And though many suggested that the yoga teacher would be there, People has now reported that Doria won’t make the trip to Sandringham after all. This year marks the Duchess of Sussex’s second Christmas spent with the royals, and she’ll be joining the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other senior royals in Norfolk in a week’s time.

Doria was on hand to support Meghan's first charity project. Photo: © Getty Images

While non-family members aren’t often invited into the royal fold around the holidays, it was believed that the Queen might make an exception for her new granddaughter-in-law, given that Meghan is her mother’s only child and doesn’t have any family in the United Kingdom. Duchess Kate’s family, on the other hand, is based in England and so have never needed or received an invitation. The Cambridges sometimes spend the holidays with her family in Berkshire, which they did for her first Christmas engaged to Prince William.

Meghan celebrated Christmas with the royals last year. Photo: © Getty Images

Doria, 62, will surely miss her daughter this Christmas season, but if reports are true, the mother of one may not be missing any future engagements fun – she’s said to be considering a move across the pond to be closer to her first grandchild! It was revealed last month that the Sussexes would be moving into Frogmore Cottage and are hard at work converting the charming property on the Queen’s Windsor estate.

Plans were approved back in July by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, four months before the couple's decision was made public. What was surely a priority in their vision is a special space for the baby's California-based granny. Among the plans, which include extensions to two orangeries and refitting the space, is permission to modify a studio on the cottage's grounds by adding a bedroom - which would be the perfect "mother-in-law suite" for Doria!