Queen to include Harry and Meghan in Christmas celebrations 'at a distance'

Queen Elizabeth is expected to send Christmas gifts to Prince Harry and his family in the United States, a royal commentator believes.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending the holiday season in California, where they live with son Archie and daughter Lilibet.

They are not making the journey back to the UK for the royal family's gathering at Sandringham, despite it being the first Christmas Queen Elizabeth will have without husband Prince Philip.

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth expected to host Christmas at Sandringham, telling family she is 'feeling far better'

The last time Harry and Meghan had Christmas at Norfolk was in 2018, just after the royal wedding.

But Her Majesty still includes her grandson and his wife in the family celebrations, even though he's chosen to spend it apart, royal commentator Neil Sean believes.

"There will be some gifts but it will be very formal," Sean said on his YouTube channel.

"[The Queen] is far too gracious to be childish not include [Prince Harry and Meghan] in the gift package."

He expects the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also send parcels across to Harry and Meghan, even though relations between the two brothers remains frosty.

But Sean says don't expect to see "gift opening on Zoom calls" which is "simply not going to happen".

"It will be at a distance and that will be sad," he says.

READ MORE: Prince William and Kate will 'of course' buy Christmas presents for Archie and Lilibet

Last week, royal commentator Katie Nicholl said Prince William and Kate would never exclude Harry's family despite everything that has happened in the past year or so.

"Yes, of course [they will send presents]. They give gifts to the whole family and that includes all of their nieces and nephews," Nicholl told OK! magazine.

Earlier this year, Prince Harry spoke about unusual choice of Christmas present from the Queen.

"Interestingly, my grandmother asked us what Archie wanted for Christmas, and Meg said a waffle maker," Harry told James Corden.

"So she sent us a waffle maker for Archie, so breakfast now Meg makes up a beautiful organic mix, in the waffle maker, flip it, out it comes. Archie literally wakes up in the morning and says 'waffle'.

"He loves it. And now I have waffles for breakfast, bit of yoghurt, bit of jam on top. I don't know if that's the right thing to do. Berries, bit of honey."

Harry also spoke about how he and Meghan used to do Zoom calls with the Queen and Prince Philip, so perhaps that isn't entirely out of the question.