Author Claims Harry and Meghan’s Royal Exit Was Sparked by Single Photo of Prince George

According to royal expert Andrew Morton, cracks within the royal family began to show much earlier than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit in 2020. He claims a particular photo of Prince George in the throne room was the final straw for the Sussexes, sending a clear message that cemented their decision to leave.

The image featured the late Queen Elizabeth, with the first three royals in the line of succession— then-Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George, at Buckingham Palace. The picture, released in 2020, days before Harry and Markle stepped down as senior royals, allegedly caused a lot of upset to the Sussexes. As reported by The Mirror, Morton wrote of the photo in his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, “The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them…The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry.”

Morton further revealed on The Mirror’s podcast, Pod Save The King, that Harry and Markle had contemplated abandoning the family far earlier than the public thought. He shared, “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.” In a separate interview with Sky News, the expert believed that the Sussexes would not return to the UK anytime soon. He said, “They've got their own lives in California. They've got their own set, they've got their own influence, and they've got their own companies.”

While George’s photo allegedly drove the Sussexes out of the Firm, Morton alleges that William also had a hand in it. In Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, the author revealed that William’s alleged 'bullying' was getting too much for the Sussexes. As reported by Marie Claire, he penned, “The Duchess of Cambridge’s coolness towards Meghan, and William’s alleged bullying contributed to a devastating ‘Cain and Abel’ fallout between the brothers.” He continued, “Harry was the ‘prime mover’ in souring relations between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, but it was Meghan who ‘took the hit.'"

Morton’s claims of William’s ‘alleged bullying’ of Harry and Markle were also echoed in an article by The Times. A source told the outlet that the couple had had enough of “constantly being told their place” by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Despite Harry and William releasing a joint statement denying the allegations, their relationship has not sailed smoothly ever since. Fast forward to the present, as the Sussexes continue to criticise the Firm in interviews, sources claim William reportedly plans to strip them of their royal titles when he becomes King.