Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Won't Join Queen Elizabeth For First Christmas Sans Prince Philip: Report

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have no plans to fly to the U.K. and spend the holidays with Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the members of the royal family, a report has claimed.

There were rumors that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might fly to his home country for Christmas. However, an unnamed source who spoke with Page Six about the royal couple's holiday plans suggested that it wasn't in the cards.

"There’s a lot that goes into the logistics and the planning of the family Christmas, so of course, staff knows that Harry and Meghan are not coming," the source told the outlet. "If they were, they would have communicated it to their family by now."

The tipster noted that the Sussexes' attendance would mean so much to the Queen, especially since it would be her first Christmas without her husband, Prince Philip. The Duke of Edinburgh passed away in April. Prince Harry flew to the U.K. at the time for his grandfather's funeral.

The source said the royal couple does not want to make the headlines if they were to fly to the U.K. for the holidays.

"I think everyone understands there will be a frenzy when they both come back to the U.K., but they need to rip the [Band-Aid] off and get on with it," the insider added.

Even if the Sussexes are skipping Christmas with the royal family, they might return to Britain next year for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. According to several sources, Her Majesty invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the event, which would mark the Queen's historic 70 years as a monarch. However, another unnamed source said returning to the U.K. for the first time for such a big celebration won't be good timing as they might only steal the Queen's thunder.

"If that is the first time they are back in the country since Megxit, and they suck all the oxygen from the Queen, that will be just terrible," the tipster said.

Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the royal family usually celebrate Christmas at the Queen's Norfolk estate in Sandringham. The get-together includes odd practices and traditions, including weighing the guests.

The Queen reportedly orders the guests to weigh themselves to ensure they are "well-fed" as they feast at her home. They also exchange Christmas gifts, but their presents should be cheap "joke gifts."