Prince George: The real reason behind Harry and Meghan Markle leaving royal family, ‘Future of the monarchy was assured’

The real reason behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle deciding to leave royal duties has come out. And, it has a Prince George connection.

Queen Elizabeth II released her photo along with Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George. The photograph was apparently an unofficial portrait showing four generations of future monarchs.

This is not the first time such claims have been made. Before the photograph, a video was filmed on Christmas Eve and later aired. It showed George stirring a Christmas pudding.

When the Queen gave her TV message, photos of William, Kate Middleton, their kids, Charles, Queen Camilla and others were placed on her desk. The one whose photo was missing was Harry, Meghan and baby Archie.

The late Queen reportedly referred to Harry’s photograph, also featuring Meghan Markle and their 8-month-old son. "I suppose we don't need that one," She allegedly told the director

According to Christopher Andersen's book Brothers And Wives, this omission made Harry feel sidelined. It was claimed in the book that the Queen herself removed their photo just before filming.

Soon after, the royal portrait featured only the Queen and her direct heirs, again excluding Harry.

According to royal writer Andrew Morton, Harry and Meghan felt the Royal Family didn’t need them anymore. They believed the system was against them and saw the photo as a “final wake-up call”.

"The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them. As they saw it, the evidence was all around them,” Andrew Morton wrote in his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess.

"The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry," he added.

The Sussexes announced their exit on Instagram. Their decision to step back came just days after the photograph had been released.

On January 8, 2020, Harry and Meghan made it official and later moved to the United States with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet.

Megxit: A misogynistic term

Later in 2021, Prince Harry called “Megxit” a misogynistic term used to insult his wife, Meghan Markle. Speaking in a panel called The Internet Lie Machine, he said the word was started by an internet troll, then picked up by reporters and spread widely by the media.

According to Harry, this shows how online hate has become mainstream. Harry also shared that part of the reason for leaving was the racist treatment Meghan faced from the UK’s tabloid media.