Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last celebrated Christmas with the royal family in 2018.
But according to reports, something that happened the following year – which the couple spent in Canada with Meghan’s mother and their then-seven-month-old son, Prince Archie – may have influenced their decision to step back from royal life. Keep reading for more info…
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The Late Queen Elizabeth II Didn't Display Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Pictures During Her 2019 Christmas Address
While Prince Harry and Meghan were enjoying their first Christmas as a family of three in Canada, something that happened across the pond allegedly tipped them "over the edge," according to The Mirror.
The offending incident took place during the late Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas address, which occurred in the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. During her address, several family portraits were visible on her desk, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as well as then Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, among others. But three key faces were missing: Meghan, Harry, and baby Archie.
This omission reportedly became the final straw for the couple, who were already feeling sidelined as it was. Just one month later, they announced their decision to step down as senior royals.
Prince Harry And Meghan Thought The Royal Family Were 'Conspiring Against Them'
The supposed Christmas snub is discussed in Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, and is being resurfaced all over again since it's the festive season. The authors write that the Sussexes believed the royal family was "conspiring against them" by excluding their photo. They reportedly felt "long sidelined by the institution and not a fundamental part of its future."
"One didn't have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen's Speech on Christmas Day," the book states. "In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, 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."
Royal sources reportedly told the authors that the photos were chosen to represent the "direct line of succession," so leaving Prince Harry and Meghan off wasn't the really the snub the Sussexes felt it was. Regardless, Scobie and Durand said Harry and Meghan saw it as "yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path," hence choosing to step down as senior royals the following month.
