Prince George picture 'upset' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before huge decision
A picture of a young Prince George, which was released before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed they were quitting the Royal Family, was a 'wake up call' for the couple, it's claimed
The strained relationship between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the rest of the Royal Family appears to have reached a point of no return, with the Duke alleging that his father, the King, has ceased communication with him. The rift between the Sussexes and the royals can be traced back to their decision to step away from their royal duties.
And, according to an expert, a seemingly innocent photograph of Prince George served as a 'wake up call' for Harry and Meghan, solidifying their decision to leave the monarchy. The picture in question, taken in the throne room at Buckingham Palace, featured the late Queen alongside her three heirs: then-Prince Charles, Prince William, and six year old Prince George.
This image was made public at the start of 2020, just days before Harry and Meghan announced their intention to resign as working members of the Royal Family. While the photo ostensibly represented the future of the monarchy, echoing many historical portraits, it is believed to have caused discontent behind closed doors.
In his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, Andrew Morton suggests that the couple felt the entire institution was conspiring against them. He wrote: "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 future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry."
In a recent episode of The Mirror's podcast Pod Save The King, Morton revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had considered stepping back from royal duties much earlier than previously believed. He said: "Harry was having conversations in a London hotel with Oprah Winfrey back in November 2018, just six months after they'd been married. So they were thinking about a different direction of travel pretty early on."
This revelation comes in the wake of criticism directed at Prince Harry following his interview with BBC News, reports the Mirror.. This occurred shortly after a judge dismissed his legal challenge regarding the reduction of his security detail, subsequent to his decision to step down as a working member of the royal family in 2020.
In the interview, Prince Harry expressed his desire for reconciliation with his family, saying: "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore.
"Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has," he added, referring to King Charles. "He won't speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile."
Prince Harry also suggested that his security concerns "could be resolved" through his father. He said: "There is a lot of control and ability in my father's hands. Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary."
The palace has consistently pushed back on claims that the King can reinstate Prince Harry's security. A source told the Sunday Telegraph their concerns, saying it demonstrates there is "nothing that can be trusted to remain private" and said of the lack of contact: "As for their being no contact, well, he has just proven why, yet again."
An insider also told ITV News of their perspective on the situation, saying: "For a son who claims to want a family reconciliation, it's certainly a very curious way to build bridges or offer olive branches.
"His beloved grandmother would have been truly horrified. The King is a kind man with a warm heart and quite enough on his plate to deal with, without all this from his son."