The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not join the Royal Family for Christmas at Sandringham, Buckingham Palace said tonight.

A spokesman revealed they will instead spend the festive season with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland and their baby son, Archie, at an undisclosed location.

Intriguingly, sources said the Queen had no idea of her grandson's plans until he rang her yesterday at Buckingham Palace to inform her.

She is said to be 'supportive' and understands that the couple want time out of the spotlight and for Meghan to be able to spend her first Christmas with her mother for two years.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their son Archie (pictured together in South Africa) will be spending the festive season with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland and not at Sandringham with the Queen and the other royals

The couple have the 'support of the Queen' (left) with regards to their plans, as other members of the family have done the same in the past. Pictured right: Doria Ragland and daughter Meghan before her wedding last year

A spokesman for the Sussexes said: 'Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the duchess's mother Doria Ragland.

'This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty the Queen.

Queen is helping Harry and Meghan through royal pressures with regular visits The Queen is trying to help the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cope with the pressures of royal life in a desperate bid to reunite the family, it was claimed today. Buckingham Palace yesterday announced Harry and Meghan will not be spending Christmas with the rest of the royals at Sandringham, fueling speculation of tension in the family. A statement said the Sussexes had the 'full support' of the monarch to be with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, instead, as Harry's brother William and wife Kate have previously chosen to spend the festive period with her parents in Berkshire. Although some described the move as a 'snub' of Harry's 93-year-old grandmother, it has today been claimed the Queen is at the centre of the bid to bring the family back together. She is trying to counsel them through their difficulties with media coverage and often visits them at Frogmore Cottage when she goes to neighbouring Windsor Castle, The Daily Express reports. The newspaper claims the Queen does not agree with some of their decisions about press coverage, but is trying to guide them to heal rifts. A spokesman for the Sussexes said last night: 'Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the duchess's mother Doria Ragland. 'This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty the Queen.' Advertisement

'For security reasons, we will not be providing further details on their schedule at this time.'

Although the Palace stressed that the couple's decision to miss the Royal Family's traditional Christmas celebrations on the monarch's Norfolk estate was in no way seen as a 'snub', it comes after they turned down an invitation to join her at Balmoral this summer.

But an aide insisted: 'The duke and duchess see a lot of the Queen as they now live at Windsor.

'That's why they didn't go to Scotland this summer and why the Queen is supportive of their decision about Christmas.'

The couple could spend it quietly at their new Windsor home with Miss Ragland for the first time – seen as the most likely option – or go abroad, either to the US or even Africa, which Harry views as his 'second home'.

The six-week sabbatical will begin after Harry's last official engagement of the year on Sunday.

It is likely to coincide with Thanksgiving, which falls on November 28 this year.

Previously it was reported Meghan and Harry would spend the US holiday in America, but this has been cast into doubt.

Insiders close to the Duchess of Sussex told DailyMail.com Meghan wants to spend it helping out at a homeless shelter in London.

The source said: 'From what I know, they aren't coming here [to Los Angeles]. Doria is going there for the holiday [Thanksgiving].'

The source added: 'They won't be officially celebrating Thanksgiving because it isn't a British holiday but Meghan is considering spending some of the day helping out at a homeless shelter in London.'

Harry's brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will spend Christmas at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall, with their children Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one, and attend church with the monarch on Christmas Day.

Palace staff and even senior royals had been kept in the dark about Harry and Meghan's plans until yesterday.

Two years ago, Meghan joined the Royal Family for her first Christmas at Sandringham and the couple were seen putting on a united front with William and Kate

One source said: 'When questions about what the duke and duchess would be doing were asked at the weekend, the couple said they still hadn't decided.

'The duke rang her personally at Buckingham Palace late in the afternoon to tell Her Majesty.'

Harry has one last official engagement on Sunday before he and Meghan begin a six-week sabbatical to spend time as a family.

William and Kate have previously spent Christmas with the Middletons in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

But some royal aides felt an appearance by the Sussexes might have helped stem speculation about their isolation from the rest of the family.

Phil Dampier, author of the book Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan In Their Own Words, told MailOnline: 'If they had something else lined up, like a big family Christmas with her family and it was their turn, you could understand them dropping out, rather like William and Kate sometimes spend the day with the Middletons.

'But of course Meghan is estranged from everyone in her family apart from her mother, who they will probably see during their six-week break.

'So if they just don't want to be with the Queen and the rest of the royals it is very telling and worrying.

'Maybe they will have time to reflect on their problems in the coming weeks and hopefully realise that thinking of themselves as victims and outsiders is not helping anyone.

'All families have their tensions at Christmas of course but this one is played out in the eyes of the world.'

He suggested the pair might have a change of heart in the coming weeks and decide to rebuild bridges with other royals come Christmas.

It had been thought they would return to Sandringham for Christmas but they informed Her Majesty, 93, that they will not be joining her and Prince Philip, 98 this year

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told The Sun: 'Christmas at Sandringham can be quite stressful so perhaps they don't want to go with Archie at such a young age.

'Having said that, Sandringham has played host to many many children through the ages and is well set up for them.

'I think it's sad they don't want to be part of the family gathering, particularly now the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are in their dotage.

'The Queen might be a little hurt but she's far too gracious to ever let it show or be known.'

Harry has always spent Christmas at the Queen's Norfolk home, barring 2012 when he was serving in Afghanistan.

For the past two years he has been joined by Meghan, 38, who alongside him also skipped the royals' annual holiday in Balmoral this year.

Ms Seward added: 'It does seem to be nothing to do with Archie and to do with their own personal feelings.'

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will both be at Sandringham with George, six, Charlotte, four and Louis, one.