With the days fast counting down to Christmas, the Royal Family will no doubt be busy arranging their festive celebrations.

The Firm usually decamp to Norfolk to the Sandringham estate where they celebrate the festive period, with the traditional church service on Christmas Day followed by a seasonal feast. Since the late Queen’s death, King Charles has carried on the custom of inviting the whole of the family to the celebration. But two relatives who have been missing from royal Christmas since 2018 are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Each year there is speculation over whether they would join the rest of the Firm for celebrations along with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

And this year, there has even been rumours Harry could spend Christmas in the UK with his uncle Earl Spencer, the late Princess Diana’s brother, after it emerged he stayed with him on a recent trip to the UK.

However, there appears to be one major stumbling block to any Christmas plans in Harry’s homeland – as it seems the Sussexes would only come to the country if one major thing changes. According to The Telegraph, unless Harry can overturn a ruling by the Home Office that he is not immediately entitled to police protection when in the UK – he does not feel he can bring Meghan, Archie and Lilibet to his homeland.

Harry had been taking legal action over the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) after being told he would no longer be given the “same degree” of publicly-funded protection when in the country.

The court was told that Harry believes his children, Archie and Lilibet cannot “feel at home” in the UK if it is “not possible to keep them safe” there. At a previous hearing of the case, in a written statement, Harry said: “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020. The UK is my home.

“The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home, as much as where they live at the moment in the United States. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”

Harry lost his claim earlier this year but has now been given permission to appeal the decision. This year, Harry has been to the UK solo several times – once to attend a service at St Paul’s Cathedral for his Invictus Games, where he didn’t meet up with any of his family members. It was the same when he visited at the end of September to attend the WellChild Awards.

The situation is said to have put a strain on Harry’s relationship with his father, the King, who reportedly does not want to get involved in the row. A source told the Sunday Times: “His Majesty’s son is suing His Majesty’s government, and that is very tricky for the King.

“If they were to meet, there is a worry that son would lobby father because of the mistaken belief that the King has control over his security. For him not to have accepted the judgment of His Majesty’s government and courts is frustrating.” Meanwhile a friend of Charles also said it would be “wholly inappropriate” for the monarch to intervene in a the case.