Prince Harry Left Royal Family After Queen’s Comments on Meghan and Archie Photo

A family video reportedly became the breaking point for Prince Harry, pushing him to officially step back from the royal family.

In January 2020, the Spare author, 39, and his wife Meghan Markle—parents to Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 3—announced their decision to step down from their roles as senior working royals.

The announcement followed the release of a heartwarming video by Buckingham Palace featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II with her great-grandson, Prince George, the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The video, posted on the royal family’s official social media channels, showcased the Queen with her three heirs: Prince George, now 11, Prince William, 42, and then-Prince Charles. It captured a family moment as young George stirred a Christmas pudding on Christmas Eve.

Later that day, the Queen recorded her annual Christmas TV address. The backdrop featured photos of the Queen with William and Kate, but none included Harry and Meghan. According to royal writer Daniela Elser of news.com.au, this omission was a last-minute decision described in Christopher Andersen’s book Brothers And Wives.

Andersen recounted that just before the Queen was to begin filming, she reviewed the photos and remarked, “That one,” referring to a specific photo. After observing the collection of past and future monarchs and their families, she concluded, “I suppose we don’t need that one.”

In their book Finding Freedom, royal commentators Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand noted that the video was a further indication to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that it was time to forge their own path. They wrote, “For Harry and Meghan, [the video] was yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path.”

According to Elser, the message was clear: Harry’s role was increasingly irrelevant, reducing the Sussexes to a peripheral status.

Years later, Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family has nearly completely disintegrated. Sources indicate that their current bond with the family is minimal, largely connected only through Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. A significant downturn followed the release of their 2021 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.

In the docuseries, Harry recounted his deteriorating relationship with his brother William, alleging that an incident during the Sandringham summit left him terrified due to William’s yelling and shouting. Harry also claimed that members of Kensington Palace lied to protect his brother.

Royal commentator Michael Cole remarked to GB News that the only royal support for Meghan and Harry comes from Prince Andrew’s daughters. He stated, “Meghan is hardly on speaking terms with any member of her family apart from her mother and one niece. Prince Harry is not on speaking terms with any member of the royal family apart from Prince Andrew’s daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.”