The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are unlikely to return to the UK for Christmas with their son Archie.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had originally planned to come back in December to visit the royal family ahead of the duchess’s privacy trial against Associated Newspapers, which was scheduled for January.
However, the couple’s plans have reportedly changed after Meghan won her bid to postpone the trial until next autumn for a “confidential” reason amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“They have not finalised their plans for Christmas,” a source close to the couple tells The Independent.
“With Covid-19 restrictions constantly being updated, that will obviously impact their planning.”
A source also told The Sunday Times: “It is unlikely the duke and duchess will be travelling before the end of the year because the focus had been the trial in January.
“As that is no longer happening, there are no plans to travel at the moment, but any travel plans will be kept under review.”
After moving to Canada with Archie, Harry and Meghan travelled back to the UK in January and March to carry out a number of final engagements before officially stepping down as working royals.
In August, it was confirmed that the couple had moved to a permanent home in Santa Barbara, California, after living in Los Angeles for several months.
They were due to return to the UK in spring for Trooping the Colour, the Queen's official birthday, which also coincided with Prince Philip's 99th birthday this year and Princess Beatrice’s wedding, but the duke and duchess had to cancel due to the pandemic.
Plans for the Queen’s traditional Christmas at Sandringham with members of the royal family have not yet been announced and remain uncertain given the second national lockdown, which begins in England this Thursday.
The royal family traditionally spend Christmas together at Sandringham estate. During the sixties, when Her Majesty's children were small, many Christmases were celebrated at Windsor Castle. But since 1988, royal Christmases returned to Sandringham.
The Queen and other members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, attend a morning service on Christmas Day at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, a country church visited by The Queen's Great-Great Grandmother Queen Victoria, which dates back to the 16th century.
This will mark the second year that the Sussex’s have spent the holiday away from the royal family, having spent last year with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and their son Archie in North America.
Aside from last year and 2012, when Prince Harry was serving in Afghanistan, he has never spent Christmas away from the Queen’s Norfolk home.
