Meghan Markle and Prince Harry allegedly decided to leave their royal lives after seeing the Queen's 2020 New Year photo. The snap featured the current monarch and the three heirs had allegedly convinced them that the monarchy would continue without them.
Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Allegedly Felt The Royals Conspired Against Them
Two years ago, the Queen released a photo of her with the three future kings — Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George — to mark New Year. Her Majesty shared the snap to mark the new decade.
However, the photo allegedly made the Duke and Duchess of Sussex question their position in the firm, Mirror reported.
The picture was taken in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. The Queen is beaming in her white dress with the three heirs surrounding her.
Prince Charles rocked a gray striped suit. He stands behind the Queen and places one hand on Prince George's shoulder, who stands beside him.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's eldest son also smiles at the camera. The little prince appears very neat and smart in his white long sleeve polo and dark pants. Prince William also looks dapper in his usual black suit.
"The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them. As they saw it, the evidence was all around them," royal biographer Andrew Morton said in his unauthorized book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess.
"The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry."
Just days after the picture was released, Prince Harry and Markle announced that they were stepping back from their roles as working royals. The royal couple said they spent "many months" reflecting on the decision. They also said they wanted to "carve out a progressive new role within [the] institution" while being financially independent from the firm.
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Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Allegedly Felt Snubbed After Queen Removed Their Photo
Meanwhile, royal biographer Christopher Andersen shared his thoughts about Megxit. According to him, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the royal family because of another photo. They allegedly felt "erased" when the Queen decided to remove their family portrait in her 2019 Christmas broadcast.
The Queen allegedly pointed to their picture before she recorded her speech and said, "We won't be needing that one." It was allegedly the "turning point" in Prince Harry and Markle's relationship with the royal family.
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"I think this is a turning point. There are all sorts of subtle messages that are conveyed in this, kind of soap opera that goes on," Andersen told Us Weekly.
"I think that was one of the things that prompted them to issue the statement that they were stepping back from royal [life for a] full-time real life," he added.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
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