Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly left “furious” by a pivotal decision from the Palace just weeks before they stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted to spend Christmas 2019 abroad with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, instead of attending the traditional Sandringham gathering, one royal move during this period would become the “final straw” in their decision to leave royal life.
In the late Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas speech, a family photo was displayed on Her Majesty’s desk—but notably absent was a picture of Harry, Meghan, and their newborn son, Archie.
According to Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand revealed that the couple felt this was a deliberate snub, and they believed the Royal Family had been “conspiring against them,” further reinforcing their sense of being “sidelined” by the institution.
As per The Irish Mirror, sources from the Palace explained that the photographs selected for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas speech were meant to reflect the “direct line of succession.”
The portraits featured King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children.
Despite this official reasoning, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly felt snubbed by the omission of their family picture, adding fuel to their growing frustrations with the Royal Family.