Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been told they "need King Charles more than he needs them", as the royal couple spent their fifth consecutive Christmas away from the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly turned down an invitation to Sandringham by King Charles after claiming they would "love" to spend Christmas with Prince Harry's family.
Since stepping down as working royals in 2020, the couple have continued to drift further from the monarchy, making several controversial claims about them, including in a Netflix documentary released last year.
In January this year, Prince Harry released his tell-all memoir, Spare, which became the fastest selling non-fiction book of all time.
The Royal Family attend their annual Sandringham church service on Christmas Day
PA
To end a turbulent year for the royal relations, Omid Scobie released his second royal biography Endgame, which added more allegations against the Royal Family.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have remained silent on any possible involvement in the book, and both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have refused to respond to any claims made by Scobie.
Following the latest Sussex scandal, King Charles failed to mention his son and the Duchess in his second Christmas message.
The King instead paid tribute to the “selfless army” of volunteers serving communities across the country, describing them as the “essential backbone of our society”.
King Charles pointedly added that Christmas should be "a chance for family and friends to come together across generations", further adding to speculation of a continued rift between the royals and the Sussexes.
Speaking to GB News, Royal Author Ingrid Seward said she believes the rift "will sadly continue" into next year, amid the couple's many projects in the pipeline.
Seward revealed: "Harry's been very clear that he doesn't want to come to the UK unless he has the kind of protection he expects.
"Most of his court cases are ongoing, but in particular with the Home Office, he's really put his foot down on this."
Ingrid Seward says Meghan and Harry 'need King Charles more than he needs them'
GB News
Seward said of a possible reconciliation between Harry, Meghan and the King: "Obviously King Charles wants to see his son and his grandchildren, and last summer he apparently invited them to Balmoral, which they turned down.
"Meghan and Harry need the King and his blessing far more than the King needs them, sadly, so I feel we will be seeing them.
"We'll certainly be seeing Harry, because he's got to reappear for some court cases."
