Meghan Markle , Prince Harry and little Archie are doing their own thing this Christmas.

Buckingham Palace released a statement Wednesday saying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be spending the holiday with the rest of the royal family this year.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month, the palace said , confirming a Sunday Times report in October that said the couple would be taking a royal sabbatical in November.

Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess mother Doria Ragland, the statement said.

This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family , and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen, the statement added, presumably to shield the couple, who have faced intense scrutiny from critics, from further drama.