One particular moment during family festivities was the “final straw” for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, claims royal author.

In 2019, the royal duo spent Christmas in America with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and in an apparent sub to the couple, they were left “sidelined” by a move of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The couple were allegedly left “furious” as Queen Elizabeth had family portraits visible on her desk for her Christmas broadcast, but none of these included Prince Harry, Meghan Markle or their newborn son, Prince Archie. Their photo was “notably absent”.

Harry and Meghan were allegedly left “furious” after their photo was missing in late Queen’s broadcast

The book Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claims the family were “conspiring against them” with the move. It states: “One didn’t have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day. In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen delivered her address, viewers glimpsed photos of the [Waleses] and their children, Charles and Camilla, Prince Philip, and a black-and-white image of George VI.”

The book stated the couple thought it was “yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path” and in 2020, the duo stepped down as senior working royals, eventually relocating to Montecito, California.