Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be having a very scaled back Christmas

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal family roles this year after months of discussions.

The Sussex couple lost their HRH titles and their Sussex Royal brand and relocated to California to prioritise their family of three and mental health over their former roles.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Sussex family will not be returning to the UK for Christmas, and seeing as the Duke and Duchess have just bought a new home in Santa Barbara, it is thought that the trio will be having an intimate first Christmas in their new home.

And while sources have told People that the couple are particularly ‘excited to decorate for Christmas’, it has been reported that the Sussexes will be having quite a scaled back holiday.

According to sources via The Mirror and The Daily Mail, Harry and Meghan will be hosting Christmas, inviting close friends, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, for the festivities.

The A-list couple are known to be close friends with the Sussexes, with Katharine and Meghan going to school together and Grammy-winning David reportedly being like Harry’s ‘surrogate dad’.

And what can they expect? A relaxed buffet style affair if Meghan’s former blog post on a budget Christmas is anything to go by, with the Duchess recommending readers to ask guests to ‘bring a dish or cook together in the kitchen’.

She continues: ‘If you do not have a proper set-up, use your dining room table or kitchen counter as a buffet.’

‘Meghan very much wants to host the first Christmas at their new home with her mum,’ a source reportedly explained. ‘She’s really excited and is planning on doing all the traditions she grew up with as a child, including the cooking. They’ve also invited David and Katharine to spend it with them. David had mentioned Harry and Meghan going to theirs but Meghan wants it at home. They want to get on with their new lives. Christmas with Harry’s family is not in the plan.’

It is important to remember however, that a Christmas with the royals wouldn’t be possible because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Either way, we hope Meghan and Harry have a lovely Christmas!