Prince Harry felt 'erased' by the Queen's last-minute decision: 'Hurtful'
Things between Prince Harry and the royal family weren't totally merry during Christmas of 2019 with new reports suggesting a subtle move by the Queen made him feel 'erased'.
Royal biographer Christoper Anderson spoke with Us Weekly, claiming the Queen made a last-minute decision to exclude Harry, Meghan Markle and baby Archie from her annual Christmas broadcast after learning that the Duke of Sussex wanted to step back from royal life – an announcement that wasn't made official until January 2020.
Despite Meghan and Harry featuring prominently on the Queen's desk during the 2018 broadcast, she asked for the photo to be removed for the following year.
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There was, of course, a large photo of Prince William, Kate Middleton and their young children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis that featured.
"The queen hasn’t decided what to do about it [amid the talks of Harry leaving]," Christopher tells the publication. "There’s a point at which — just before she gives a speech to the director on set — [she is] asked her which photographs she wants in the shot next to her."
He claims the Queen then said: "We won’t be needing that one," while pointing to a photo of the Sussex family.
The photo of the Sussexes was then "put aside [and] they were not in the broadcast" with only "the people that clearly were most important to her" included.
Realising his family had been removed, after being part of the tradition for so many years, rubbed Harry the wrong way, according to Christopher.
"I think that was hurtful [for him to see]. A friend of Harry’s told me that he felt that he was being erased in a sense from the family," he said.
He added that it appeared to be the last straw for Harry and Meghan: "It seems very subtle, but when you think about it, when somebody cuts you out of the family album, so to speak, it’s a pretty strong message."
When it came to the 2020 Christmas address, the Queen opted to only have a photo of her husband Prince Philip beside her as she spoke of the tough year that was amid the Covid pandemic. Philip passed away in April at the age of 99.
After what has been a huge year for Harry and Meghan, including a few headline-making interviews, it seems unlikely they will feature in the Queen's address again this year.
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