Prince Harry and Meghan Markle felt sidelined after Queen Elizabeth II seemingly snubbed them during his 2019 Christmas broadcast.
According to royal biographer Christopher Andersen, it was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's last straw that was why they left their royal lives.
Prince Harry Felt Erased After Queen Elizabeth Snubbed Family Photo
Andersen, author of Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, spoke with Us Weekly. He weighed in on Megxit and shared what moved the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to turn their back from their royal duties.
"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 the outlet. "In 2018, she sat there in front of a Christmas tree. She gave her Christmas address and there were the family photos. … Including [Harry’s son] Archie and Megan and Harry, very prominently displayed."
However, things changed a year later. The Queen allegedly hasn't decided what to do with the talks of Prince Harry leaving the royal family. Before she delivered her annual Christmas day addressed, she went over the photographs on her desk and allegedly pointed at a photo of Prince Harry, Markle, and Archie, and said, "We won't be needing that one."
During the broadcast, the Sussexes' photograph was visibly missing. Many noticed it because the other senior members of the royal family, including the Cambridges, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, Her Majesty's father King George VI, were all there.
The Queen's move reportedly rubbed Prince Harry the wrong way. He was too hurt, especially because he had been part of the tradition for so many years.
"I think that was a hurtful [for him to see]. A friend of Harry’s told me that he felt that he was being erased in a sense from the family," Andersen continued. "And it was right after that, that they made their [decision to leave the U.K.]. 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."
Queen Elizabeth Gave Prince Harry And Meghan Markle A Chance To Return
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping back, the Queen gave them a year to decide. She allowed them to do whatever they wanted and return a year later. That was in case they changed their mind.
The Queen has always been supportive of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. However, after a year, Prince Harry and Markle stood firm with their decision. They didn't return to their royal post and decided to settle in the United States. The Queen announced the Sussexes' decision and still expressed her support for them.
"Today, my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family," the Queen's statement read. "My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."
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