Harry and Meghan back in Britain, Christmas with Royal Family unlikely Prince Harry and Meghan are back in Britain for an extended stay but are reportedly planning Christmas with Doria Ragland instead of the Royal Family at Sandringham, as the couple's first joint outing since returning drew warm crowds in Nottingham. Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are back in Britain for an extended stay, but a royal family reunion remains out of reach. The couple returned in August after six years in the United States. They are living in a private home with Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, who are settled into British schools. The latest reporting about Christmas indicates Harry and Meghan plan to spend the festive season with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, rather than joining the Royal Family at Sandringham. People magazine reports they intend to celebrate with Doria, possibly in California.Sussexes Return For Christmas Without Royal InvitationThe Sunday Times quotes a source suggesting the Sussexes do not expect an invitation to the royal gathering. Buckingham Palace has not said whether an invitation was offered or held back. Harry and Meghan last spent Christmas at Sandringham in 2018. Until now, the Atlantic Ocean explained their absence.This year, distance is no longer the excuse, which is why the story has such legs. Christmas is a private occasion, and choosing to be with Doria should not automatically be read as a snub. But the Christmas Day walk to church is one of the monarchy's most recognizable displays of unity. Harry, Meghan, William and Catherine appearing together would raise hopes of a reconciliation that may not be there yet.If there is no invitation, it may be less about the turkey and more about the photograph. On Thursday, the couple made their first joint outing since returning, visiting three Nottingham charities. It was a return to the city where they made their first official joint appearance after their engagement almost nine years ago, when they were the bright new faces of a modernizing monarchy. About 100 well-wishers greeted the couple with flowers and hugs.The emotional high point came at Himmah, where Meghan was reunited with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen, whom she worked with after the Grenfell fire. They have reportedly stayed in touch since she left Britain. It was a far smaller crowd than on their first Nottingham visit, and one warm welcome does not prove Britain's divided opinion has shifted. It has not.But the warmth was impossible to miss. Harry said simply of being back: It is great to be back. The engagements looked like traditional royal duties, with planned visits, charity meetings, crowds and cameras. Yet Harry and Meghan were representing only themselves.King Charles Letter Confirms Sussex IndependenceA letter authorized by King Charles in September restated that they remain non-working royals and that their charitable work is private, not done on behalf of the Crown. Nottingham offered a glimpse of the independent public life they hoped to build in 2020, and judging by Thursday's evidence, they are rather good at it. The harder question is whether that independence can sit alongside a real relationship with the family they left behind.There are gentle signs of progress between Harry and his father. In July, King Charles and Queen Camilla welcomed Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet to Highgrove, the first time the King had seen his grandchildren in person for several years. The two men are reportedly in touch by phone, though there has been no confirmed meeting since the Sussexes moved back in August. This is the one relationship that could be repaired quickly, if both men wanted it enough.William And Harry Remain Estranged Despite Reconciliation HopesPrince William is quite another matter. The brothers remain estranged, with deep grievances on both sides. Harry has said many times that he wants to reconcile, while William has given no public sign that he is ready. For William, it may be as much about trust as forgiveness, and for Harry, it may depend on acknowledgement of how he feels he was treated.As the future King, William cannot treat this as a purely private matter. It is difficult to see him ascend to the throne with this feud hanging over him. That raises the question of why King Charles is not making the first move, given Harry has been the one saying he wants peace loudly and often. The people who could do the most to build a bridge have left him to walk across it alone.Monarchy Reasons For No Royal Family ReconciliationThere are five reasons, and some are more defensible than others. The first is institutional habit. The monarchy is not built to chase anyone. Its instinct is to stay calm and let time do the work.Never complain, never explain is as much a survival strategy as a motto, and reaching out publicly would feel like an admission that something went wrong. The second, and arguably the most legitimate, is trust. Harry and Meghan have spoken openly about private conversations in a memoir, a documentary and interviews, so anyone in the family must now assume a private word could become a public story.Overtures need a safe place to land, and the family may not believe there is one. The third is the Palace's own line in the sand. September's letter was carefully worded and, in effect, drew a boundary around what the couple's role is and is not. Having set that boundary, the Palace may be reluctant to blur it by extending a warm private invitation.There is also the matter of timing and precedent. A Christmas invitation would be a highly visible statement, one that would raise expectations of a broader reconciliation that may not yet be there. The family may prefer to avoid that image until the underlying relationships are repaired.Finally, there is the simple reality that reconciliation is slow, private work, and the people involved have decades of history. For now, Harry and Meghan appear to be building a life in Britain on their own terms, close enough to visit but still outside the royal fold. Afua Hagan is a royal commentator and contributor to CTVNews.ca, based in London and Accra.