A seemingly innocent photograph of Prince George with his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and other senior royals is now being cited as a pivotal moment in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave the Royal Family, according to royal expert Andrew Morton.
The image, taken in the throne room at Buckingham Palace, was released at the start of 2020, just days before the Sussexes announced their intention to step back as working royals. It features the late Queen alongside her three heirs: then-Prince Charles, Prince William, and a young Prince George. While the photograph appeared to be a celebration of the future of the monarchy, it allegedly triggered deep concerns for Harry and Meghan.
In his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, Morton claims that the couple believed the Royal Family was “conspiring against them,” and the photo served as a stark reminder that they were not central to the future of the monarchy. “The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry,” Morton wrote.
The growing sense of alienation reportedly reached a breaking point when Harry attempted to meet with the Queen to discuss his and Meghan’s royal future. Morton claims that a planned grandson-to-grandmother chat was abruptly postponed, which further fueled Harry’s feelings of being sidelined. “Charles suspected classic internal politics, his family concerned that anything the Queen agreed during informal conversations would be used by Harry as a negotiating tactic,” Morton explained.
The seeds of discontent, however, had been planted much earlier than the public realized. Speaking on The Mirror’s podcast Pod Save The King, Morton revealed that Harry and Meghan began considering a departure from the Royal Family just six months after their wedding in May 2018. “Harry was having conversations in a London hotel with Oprah Winfrey back in November 2018,” Morton said, indicating that the couple was contemplating a different path early on.
Despite being given significant responsibilities within the Royal Family—such as Harry’s role as Youth Ambassador, which was seen as the Queen’s way of encouraging them to focus on international duties—Harry and Meghan felt increasingly sidelined. Morton describes their position as being given “the keys to the first-class lounge,” yet still feeling excluded from the inner circle of the monarchy.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan officially announced their decision to step back from royal duties. Their statement read: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.” They emphasized their commitment to becoming financially independent while continuing to support the Queen.
The announcement marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Sussexes, who now balance their time between the UK and North America, pursuing independent ventures while maintaining their ties to the Commonwealth and their patronages. The story of their departure, however, remains intertwined with moments like the release of that photograph—a snapshot of the future that inadvertently pushed them toward a new direction.
