Original photo of Harry and Meghan’s first overseas engagement sparks controversy

Buckingham Palace has clarified that Meghan Markle was not intentionally cropped out of a birthday photograph shared to celebrate Prince Harry’s 40th birthday.

The photo, posted by King Charles and Prince William, features a close-up of a smiling Harry from his and Meghan’s first overseas trip to Dublin as a married couple in 2018.

The royal family, and later the Prince and Princess of Wales, used the image in their birthday tribute, which was captioned: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!”

However, eagle-eyed royal watchers noted that the original photo, taken when Harry was still a working royal, also included Meghan, sparking discussions about the editing choices.

The Palace has since confirmed that any cropping was not intended to exclude Meghan from the birthday tribute.

The photograph in question, a close-up of Harry smiling, was shared by King Charles and Prince William as part of the birthday tribute.

This led to rumors that Meghan had been cropped out, but it has now been revealed that both the cropped and full versions of the photo were uploaded by the Press Association to Getty Images on the same day in 2018.

The release of the photo comes after further strains in Harry’s relationship with the royal family, particularly following the explosive revelations in his 2023 memoir, Spare. 

In the book, he made serious allegations against his brother William, including an accusation of physical altercation during an argument over Meghan’s treatment.

Some have viewed the birthday post as an “olive branch” from the royals, while others see it as following a tradition established by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen was known for acknowledging the birthdays of non-working royals on milestone anniversaries ending in zero.