Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from royal duties in January 2020 – but one particular move from the late Queen pushed the Sussexes ‘to the edge’.
A resurfaced royal video shared by the RoyalFamily was the ‘last straw’ for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before they quit their royal duties, according to reports.
In a sweet clip posted by the royals in December 2019, the late Queen Elizabeth was shown with her three heirs, then-Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George stirring a Christmas pudding.
The former Queen then recorded her annual address to the nation, which airs every Christmas day at 3pm. In the back of the video, photographs were on display that showed her with William and Kate, but there were none to be seen of Harry and Meghan.
It has been claimed that this move by the monarch was the final straw for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and was a factor in their decision to quit their full-time royal duties.
Daniela Elser, a royal expert who work at news.com.au said: “The excising of Harry and Meghan from the tableau had been a last-minute change, according to Christopher Andersen’s Brothers And Wives. According to Andersen, just before Her late Majesty was due to begin filming, she ‘looked over the table where the photographs she had so lovingly selected were arranged.
“‘That one,’ said the Queen, surveying the other images of past and future monarchs and their families. ‘I suppose we don’t need that one.
Royal commentator Omid Scobie also spoke of this snub, writing in the book he co-write with Carolyn Durand: “For Harry and Meghan, [the video] was yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path”.
Elser chimed in: “The message coming out of the SW1 postcode crystal clear: Harry did not matter, all of these instances dangerously pointed reminders of his hierarchical irrelevance. The takeaway: The Sussexes were unneeded, peripheral, secondary.”
As of late, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s relationship with the Royal family appears to be completely non-existent. According to recent reports, the couple’s only remaining ties are with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
According to The Mirror, their relationship with the others worsened following the release of their docuseries on Netflix, in which Harry spoke of he and his brother, William’s relationship.
In the docuseries, Harry also alleges that William left him ‘terrified’ after he screamed and shouted at him during the summit at Sandringham. He went on to say that members of Kensington Palace had then “lied to protect my brother”.
Speaking to GB News, royal commentator Michael Cole said that the two princesses were the only remaining royals that the couple had contact with.
He said: “We have a situation where Meghan is hardly on speaking terms with any member of her family apart from her mother and one niece. Prince Harry is not on speaking terms with any member of the royal family apart from Prince Andrew’s daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.”