High-profile personalities, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, often send shock waves through the media with their unconventional choices. A significant instance was their surprising announcement to step down from their royal roles.
Their unexpected exit was officially confirmed in early 2020, over three years ago. Their choice was driven by a desire for financial independence and a new life in America.
Long before the announcement, speculation arose suggesting discontent within the regal duo’s lives behind the palace walls. An ITV documentary, aired in late 2019, featured a candid Meghan faced with the difficulties of adjusting to her fresh royal responsibilities, as reported by Mirror.
The Pivotal Photo
According to some, the final trigger for their decision to leave their royal duties was a unique photo released at the start of 2020 by Buckingham Palace.
The picture of Queen Elizabeth II with her three heirs was reportedly the tipping point for Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from royal duties.
(Image: Ranald Mackechnie via Getty Images)
The captivating photo showcased the late Queen Elizabeth II proudly standing with three generations of heirs, including King Charles, Prince William, and his eldest son, Prince George. The photo, taken in Buckingham Palace’s Throne Room, not only served as a family keepsake but also symbolised the continuity of the British monarchy.
In the controversial biography, ‘Meghan: A Hollywood Princess,’ authored by Andrew Morton, it is suggested that this particular photo acted as a silent message, causing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to reconsider their roles within the royal family.
Morton suggests, “As they saw it, the evidence was omnipresent. The unspoken message was simple: the future of the monarchy was secure, with or without Meghan and Harry.”
Soon after this photo came to light, the world was left in shock as Meghan and Harry declared their decision to resign from their royal duties via a social media post. They shared that they had spent “numerous months” contemplating the resolution and sought to craft a “progressive new role within [the] institution” while striving for financial independence.
Although three years have passed since that iconic photo, a lot has transformed within the royal family, with the most notable change being the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September of last year.
Despite these changes, the one constant seems to be the turbulent relationship Harry and Meghan maintain with the duke’s royal relatives. The relationship between the brothers, William and Harry, is currently perceived to be at an all-time low.
The conflict seems to have originated before Harry’s wedding to the former actress from Suits. Harry allegedly accused William of demonstrating elitism toward Meghan. The situation further deteriorated with Harry’s controversial allegations about his brother in his Netflix docuseries with Meghan and his explosive memoir, Spare.
In the Sussexes’ Netflix production, aired just two months after the Queen’s demise, the couple claimed that Kensington Palace had issued a fraudulent statement to shield William, denying any bullying of Harry by William. In his memoir released in January this year, Harry accused William of physically assaulting him over a disagreement about Meghan.
Harry also described a tense meeting at Windsor just after Prince Philip’s funeral, where their father, King Charles, fervently appealed to his sons, “Please, boys. Don’t make my final years a misery.”
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