Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex could be set to spend Christmas in the UK for the first time in eight years.

The Sussexes hope to spend the festive season with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland in Britain following their return to the country from Montecito, California, earlier this year.

Although their plans are yet to be confirmed, royal expert Emily Nash previously told HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast that it was "always the plan" to spend Christmas with Doria.

Harry and Meghan - who are parents to Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, - are not expected to spend the festivities with the royal family as it is seen as "too awkward and too difficult" due to the couple's strained relationship with other family members since they stepped down as senior royals and relocated to the US in 2020.

A friend of the couple told The Times newspaper last month: "For Thanksgiving and Christmas, they will do whatever Doria wants to do. They would love her to come over to the UK and spend it with them here, but they will be wherever she wants to be.

"They won't be having Christmas with the royal family. How could that even work? They know it would be too awkward and too difficult. They also know they're not going to be invited, and they're not waiting for an invitation."

The family spent Christmas together in Montecito last year, with Meghan revealing that they had spent the holiday "cuddled up" at home.

In an update on her As Ever lifestyle brand, the 45-year-old royal wrote: "I plan to spend today cuddled up with my family - maybe pyjamas all day, some Scrabble or Sequence (or Candyland for the kids), music playing, candles flickering, dogs snoring, endless grazing; the laughter, the sidebars, the deep breaths (you know the ones), the fun, and the memories."

The Sussexes previously spent Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham in 2017, with Harry saying afterwards that it had been "great fun".

The 42-year-old royal said: "The family loved having her (Meghan) there. I think together, we had an amazing time.

"There's always that family part of Christmas (where) there's always that work element there as well, and I think together we had an amazing time.

"We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic."