While there was speculation all members of the royal family could reunite over Christmas it did not come to fruition, as Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by William, Kate Middleton and their three children on 25 December to attend Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church in Norfolk, while Meghan and Harry stayed in California with their two children Archie and Lilibet.
This may come as no real surprise for some as Harry and Meghan have not returned to the UK for Christmas with the royal family since 2018 - two years before they quit the royal family and left their royal duties behind.
As rumours of a divide in the family continue a relationship expert believes a one-off family gathering over Christmas would not have been sufficient to fix those fractured relationships, especially after the recent release of Omid Scobie's book Endgame.
Speaking to The Mirror, Louella Alderson said, "With the recent media attention Meghan, Harry and the Royal Family have been receiving with the release of the book, it would be surprising if either side of the family would want to spend Christmas together.
"It's a time for families to come together and celebrate, but with tension and hurt feelings still present, it may not be the best environment for reconciliation. While this continues, it would be unlikely that Meghan, Harry and the Royal Family would be ready to reconcile or celebrate together."
While the book release may have heightened tensions, Louella also believes a one-off family get together to resolve years of upset would be "impossible", and a truce should not be rushed.
The So Syncd dating app co-founder continued, "Resolving potential tensions would likely take much more than just one-holiday celebration.
"It would require open and honest communication, understanding, and empathy from both sides. It's not impossible for tensions to ease and for relationships to heal over time if both parties are willing to put in effort and work towards mending their relationship.
"Rushing something like this for the sake of appearances or to appease the media wouldn't be beneficial in the long run. The relationship only appears to be getting more strained as time goes on, so it's important for everyone involved to take the time they need to heal and address any underlying issues before attempting to reconcile, let alone celebrate holidays together."
