Is This The Real Reason Meghan And Harry Decided To Leave The Royal Family?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked fans when they announced their plans to officially exit their duties as senior members of the royal family in early 2020 (via People). The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that they would be leaving the firm and moving from the U.K. in order to live in North America. The couple eventually settled down in California, where they now live in Santa Barbara. One year following their exit, Meghan and Harry sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, where they revealed that they left the royal family for many reasons, including feeling a "lack of support and lack of understanding" from family members, as well as being harassed by the British press, per Marie Claire.
"Was the move about getting away from the UK press, because the press is everywhere, or was the move because you weren't getting enough support from the firm?" Oprah asked Harry. "Both," he stated. "If you'd had the support, you would still be there," Oprah continued. "Without question," Harry answered.
Now, a brand new book about the royal family claims that there was one final straw that may have pushed Harry and Meghan out of the royal family for good.
The queen's Christmas snub may have been the last straw for Meghan and Harry
Page Six reports that a new book titled "Brothers And Wives: Inside The Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan" reveals that there was one final straw that hit Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hard before their royal exit. The book claims that Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth asked one of her staffers to move a portrait of Harry, Meghan, and their son Archie off camera before she was filmed for her 2019 holiday message. The book explains that the monarch "looked over" tables where she had family photos displayed and then asked an aide to remove the photo of the Sussexes. "I suppose we don't need that one," she allegedly said.
The queen's decision to move the photo allegedly came after Harry and Meghan opted to spend the Christmas holiday in Canada with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, rather than with the royals in the UK. The author reveals that the event caused Harry to feel as if "he, Meghan and Archie were being erased from the family." Less than a month later, Harry and Meghan had finalized the terms of their exit from the firm.
Meanwhile, the queen was asked about the book. "We don't comment on books of this kind as to do so risks giving it some form of authority or credibility," a spokesperson for the monarch reportedly said in a statement.