The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will likely be staying in California for the festive period

Prince Harry is unlikely to spend Christmas at Sandringham again after the damage of recent years, according to royal author Richard Fitzwilliams.

The commentator believes that any future thaw does not automatically translate into festive family reunions.

Mr Fitzwilliams exclusively told GB News he does not see the Royal Family and the Sussexes seeking a shared Christmas even if some areas become less hostile.

“What happens after the 2027 Birmingham Invictus Games, of course, is yet to be seen, but I can’t see them wanting to spend Christmas with the Royal Family or vice versa,” he said.

He added that reconciliation and Christmas are not the same thing, and that progress on one issue does not necessarily unlock the other.

“In any event, I mean, whether there’ll be some form of reconciliation, that’s another matter,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.

He pointed to the continuing prominence of security as one of the practical issues shaping Harry’s relationship with the UK, but said even a positive outcome there would not mean a return to Sandringham.

“After all, the fact that Harry’s security is being reviewed and he will almost certainly get what he wants,” he added.

Prince Harry’s separate Christmas from Royal Family seen as ‘mutual’ decision

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“This is certainly positive, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they want to spend Christmas together.”

Mr Fitzwilliams stated he believes the distance is now entrenched and accepted on both sides.

“I think that probably is mutual,” he said.

The Sussexes have not joined the Royal Family at Sandringham since 2018, and the festive period has repeatedly become a marker of separation.

Prince Harry was a regular at the St Mary Magdalene Church for Christmas but has not been seen since 2018 | GETTY

Christmas plans are often treated as a proxy for the state of Royal Family relations.

Mr Fitzwilliams’s comments suggest that, in his view, the symbolism of Sandringham is too strong for either side to want the complications that would come with a shared Christmas.

A Sandringham return would generate a global story and would likely shift the entire Christmas coverage cycle away from the King and the Waleses onto the Sussexes.

Meghan and Harry’s final Christmas at Sandringham in 2018 | GETTY

That level of disruption could be seen as undesirable for the Palace.

It would also be likely equally undesirable for Harry and Meghan if they prefer to avoid appearing folded back into an institution they have criticised.

Mr Fitzwilliams did not claim reconciliation is impossible, but he drew a line between a theoretical reset and the specific idea of spending Christmas together.