A photo featuring Prince George may have influenced Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to leave the Royal Family, an expert suggests.
The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex reportedly felt that the Royal Family was plotting against them, and the picture only strengthened their belief. The image, taken in Buckingham Palace's throne room, included the late Queen with Prince Charles, Prince William and a young Prince George.
The photo's release was shortly followed by the Sussexes announcing their decision to step back from Royal duties in early 2020.
"The Royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them. As they saw it, the evidence was all around them. The unspoken code was straightforward: the monarchy's future was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry," The Mirror quoted author Andrew Morton as writing in his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess.
The feeling that Harry and Meghan, despite their global appeal, were not high on the Royal hierarchy was reinforced when Harry set up a private meeting with the Queen in early January.
However, Harry’s decision to cancel a planned meeting with the Queen, where he wanted to talk about his Royal role, confirmed some of the couple’s fears, according to Morton.
The meeting was suddenly called off, said the author. Charles reportedly believed it resulted from internal Royal dynamics, with concerns that Harry might use anything the Queen agreed upon during informal talks “as a negotiating tactic”.
During an interview with The Mirror, Morton shared that Prince Harry and Meghan had started considering leaving the Royal Family much sooner than people assumed.
He mentioned that discussions about their departure started only six months after their wedding. Harry even met Oprah Winfrey in a London hotel as early as November 2018 to explore other possibilities, Morton claimed.
