Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not happy by a decision made by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 (Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
It has been almost five years since Prince Harry and announced their intentions to step back from life as senior royals, however it appears their decision to do so was made weeks beforehand.
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly were considering moving to America and stepping back from royal life for some time, a decision made by Harry’s late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in her 2019 Christmas Day broadcast was a move that
This is because during the 2019 broadcast, which Harry and Meghan would have watched from overseas at the time as they decided not to spend the big day at Sandringham, the late Queen did not include a photograph of the couple and their son Archie on her desk.
Instead, she had a picture of King Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince Phillip, and , Princess Kate and their three children on her desk.
The late Queen also had an image of her late father George VI. The decision not to include a picture of and his family reportedly upset the couple, as reported in Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s book Finding Freedom.
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The book read: “One didn’t have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day.
“In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen delivered her address, viewers glimpsed photos of the [Waleses] and their children, Charles and Camilla, Prince Philip, and a black-and-white image of George VI.
“Noticeably absent was a photo of Harry, Meghan, and their new baby, Archie.
“Palace sources insisted that the photos were chosen to represent the direct line of succession, but for Harry and Meghan, it had been yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path.”
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A picture of the couple and Prince Archie was not on the late Queen’s desk for her Christmas message (Image: STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
In 2020, the couple then decided to step back from life as senior royals and moved overseas to America, where they purchased
A year later, the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 bombshell interview where they discussed their reasons for quitting royal life. The interview included damning revelations and accusations hurled at the Royal Family, including the fact Meghan believes there were inappropriate conversations about the colour of her son’s skin before he was born.
The late Queen released a statement after the interview. It read: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Since then, relationships between the couple and the Royal Family have been fractured, especially after the release of their docuseries in 2022, followed by Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023.