A charming image of Prince George served as a “wake-up call” for Harry and Meghan, ultimately confirming their choice to leave the Firm, an expert has suggested.

At the time, the couple is said to have felt that the Royal Family was “conspiring against them,” and the release of a specific photograph only deepened their suspicions, according to royal author Andrew Morton.

The photo in question featured the late Queen alongside her three heirs: then-Prince Charles, Prince William, and six-year-old Prince George.

Taken in the throne room at Buckingham Palace, it was released in early 2020, just days before Harry and Meghan publicly announced their intention to step down as senior royals.

Though the image appeared to be a simple representation of the monarchy’s future, reminiscent of traditional royal portraits, it reportedly stirred unease behind the scenes.

Prince George picture sparked ‘wake up call’ for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Image: Getty)

In his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, Morton wrote: “The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them. As they saw it, the evidence was all around them. The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry.”

These concerns seemed to be validated when Harry cancelled a meeting with the late Queen, where he had planned to discuss his royal future, according to Morton.

He said: “This sense that, despite their international popularity, they were low down the royal totem pole was confirmed when Harry arranged to meet the Queen for a grandson-to-grandmother chat in early January.

“At the last minute the meeting was postponed. 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.”

The official photo showed the late Queen with her three heirs (Image: Getty)

During an interview on The Mirror’s podcast Pod Save The King, Morton claimed that Harry and Meghan had begun considering leaving The Firm long before the public became aware. Discussions had reportedly started just six months after their wedding.

Morton explained: “Harry was having conversations in a London hotel with Oprah Winfrey back in November 2018, just six months after they’d been married. So they were thinking about a different direction of travel pretty early on.”

He went on to note the irony of the situation, saying: “The irony is they had been given the keys to the first-class lounge when Prince Harry was given the position of Youth Ambassador to William and Catherine. This was effectively the Queen’s way of saying ‘you do the rest of the world, leave the Royal Family to do the UK where they will eventually be the Heads of State.'”

The couple officially announced their decision to step back from royal duties in January 2020.