Prince Harry and Meghan's Christmas Snub Made Them Feel ‘Erased,’ Wanted to Find Their 'Own Path'

Before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step down from their royal responsibilities, there was one incident that made them particularly furious. During Queen Elizabeth's Christmas broadcast in 2019, she sat with a collection of family photos placed on her desk. However, one of Harry and Markle didn't feature. For the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, this felt like a deliberate exclusion, making it clear that they needed to find their "own path." The authors of Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, later wrote about the same in their book.

The authors explained that the couple felt pushed aside by the Royal Family and believed they were no longer an important part of its future. As reported by the Mirror, they wrote, "One didn't have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day. In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen delivered her address, 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."

As reported by the Express, the authors added, "Palace sources insisted that the photos were chosen to represent the direct line of succession, but for Harry and Meghan, it had been yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path." Another book by Christopher Anderson, Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, revealed the drama that took place within the royal family. Talking about Harry's reaction to the Christmas snub, Anderson explained, “I think that was 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.”

He 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 [state] that they were stepping back from royal [life for a] full-time real life.” He further said, “It seems very subtle, but when you think about it, when somebody cuts you out of the family album, so to speak, it’s a pretty strong message.” Anderson added, “The queen hasn’t decided what to do about it [amid the talks of Harry leaving]. There’s a point at which — just before she gives a speech to the director on set — [she was] asked which photographs she wants in the shot next to her."

To this, she pointed to the Sussexes photo and said, “We won’t be needing that one," as reported by Us Weekly. “So there you had, in photographs right next to the queen, the people that were most important to her. The Cambridges, all of them. Her [father], King George VI, and [Prince] Philip,” Anderson explained. Later, for her 2020 Christmas address, the Queen decided to just have a photo of her husband, Philip, next to her.