Update 18/12: After previous reports suggested that Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland would be joining the royals for Christmas by invitation from the Queen, the claims have recently been disputed by a royal correspondent .
Speaking on, Yahoo UK‘s The Royal Box,Victoria Murphy said: "My understanding is that she's not going. 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."
Original story 5/11: When Doria Ragland was pictured walking arm-in-arm with Prince Charles and Camilla at her daughter's wedding, it was a sign that the mother-of-the-bride had been welcomed into the royal family. Now, a new report claims that Meghan Markle's mother could be attending another important royal occasion - Christmas at Sandringham.
The Express is reporting that the Queen has invited Doria to stay at her Norfolk estate during the festive season. The monarch traditionally spends Christmas and New Year at the country house, where she is often joined by members of the royal family.
News of the invitation comes after the Duchess of Sussex's mum met the Queen for afternoon tea at Windsor Castle a few days before the royal wedding in May. According to a source, the move is 'mark of the Queen's respect for Meghan' and a 'very thoughtful gesture', as the duchess doesn't have any family in the UK.
However, it's also said to be unprecedented as such an offer hasn't been extended to Prince William's in-laws in the past. Although the Middleton family have been invited to join the royals for the Christmas morning church service, they have apparently stayed at nearby Anmer Hall, rather than Sandringham.
With Meghan and Harry expecting their first child in the spring, it makes sense that Doria, who lives in Los Angeles, would want to be close to her daughter during her pregnancy. Since Harry and Meghan tied-the-knot in May, there has been speculation surrounding Doria spending more time in the U.K.
'Doria is very close to her daughter, and she has made several secret trips to England,' a source told Vanity Fair in September. 'She has been to Meghan and Harry’s home in the Cotswolds several times and she has stayed with them at Nottingham Cottage. Meghan is very close to her mum. They speak on the phone pretty much every day and they are talking about Doria getting a place in the U.K. so that she can spend part of the year over here.'
