A royal expert has claimed that the late Queen Elizabeth decided to make a very ‘deliberate act’ at a pivotal moment that indicated some of her feelings about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Queen’s deliberate act showed feelings towards Harry and Meghan (
Image: Getty Images)

Despite any difficulties in their relationship with King Charles or Prince William, both Meghan and Prince Harry have always spoken about the late Queen Elizabeth in the highest, most affectionate terms.For her part, the former monarch regularly reiterated their status as beloved family members, even through difficult negotiations over the terms of the couple’s royal exit, and any allegations they made about the royal household after they had moved to California. However, despite the clear affection all parties shared in their private relationships, one royal expert has pointed out that when the late Queen came to a pivotal moment, her “deliberate act” may have shown some of her feelings toward the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as members of the institution of the monarchy.

The expert, Robert Lacey – a royal author and historian – made the claim in the Daily Mail, and the particular act that he believed to be so significant on the part of the late Queen occurred during her annual Christmas message to the nation. Usually, eagle-eyed royal fans are quick to spot the framed photographs visible on the monarch’s desk during the festive speech, and in 2019 the Sussexes were nowhere to be seen in the photos present.

“The absence of a single Sussex from the 2019 assemblage of significant royal faces in the Queen’s Christmas broadcast appeared to reflect a deliberate decision on her part. She would be providing no brand endorsement opportunities this year for Sussex Royal,” the expert wrote. Lacey added: “It was unheard of for the royal Christmas desk not to feature a cosy image of the latest royal grandchild or great-grandchild. But in 2019 there was no sight of Harry and Meghan’s six-month-old son, Archie.

“A brief video clip flashed on screen during the broadcast showing the Queen and Meghan’s mother Doria cluck-clucking over the little boy, but there was no name-check. The Queen simply acknowledged the arrival of her great-grandchild in passing, without mentioning his name or his parents: ‘Prince Philip and I have been delighted to welcome our eighth great-grandchild into our family.’ This was the Queen’s only reference to the new arrival and his parents in her 2019 address to the world — an anonymous ‘eighth great-grandchild’.” Instead, on the desk were photographs of the late Queen’s father, King George VI, Charles and Camilla, and Prince William, Kate and their three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis.