Royal Biographer Labeled 2020 Photo of George, Charles, William, and Queen Elizabeth an ‘Unspoken Code’ to Harry and Meghan
An “unspoken code” to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle through a photo? According to a royal author, a 2020 photo of King Charles III with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince George, and Prince William was “evidence” for the couple. Ahead, what a family photo supposedly signaled to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Queen Elizabeth, Charles, George, and William had 2 rare photo ops in late 2019 and early 2020
In December 2019, when Harry and Meghan were in Canada, Queen Elizabeth got together with her heirs for photo ops.
Before Christmas, the royal family released photos of the late monarch baking with the now-king, now-Prince of Wales, and George.
Days later, the royal family once again shared another visual of the monarch with three generations of heirs. Queen Elizabeth appeared in an official portrait alongside her oldest son, the now-Prince of Wales, and her great-grandson.
Portrait a ‘straightforward’ example of royal family’s ‘unspoken code’ for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to author
The official portrait, released on Jan. 3, 2020, just five days before Harry and Meghan’s announced they’d be stepping back, sent a supposed “unspoken code.”
“The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them,” biographer Andrew Morton said in Meghan: A Hollywood Princess (via Mirror). “As they saw it, the evidence was all around them.”
“The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry,” he added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle weren’t featured in photos on Queen Elizabeth’s desk during her 2019 Christmas speech
The photos of the queen with the heirs to the throne weren’t the only reminder the monarchy would continue whether or not Harry and Meghan were there. After Queen Elizabeth, William, the now-king, and George got together for a photo-op in December 2019 came the annual Christmas speech.
This one, in particular, had Queen Elizabeth delivering a televised message while sitting at a desk surrounded by framed family photos. The images featured King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, William, Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince Philip, and her father.
Notably absent were, of course, Harry and Meghan. Not to mention other members of the royal family not high up in the line of succession.
Author Tom Bower claimed in Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors Harry wasn’t happy about it.
“Four silver-framed family photographs had been carefully placed behind her. They showed the Queen’s father George VI, Prince Philip, Charles and Camilla, and finally William and his family,” Bower wrote (via Us Weekly). “To Harry’s fury, there was no photograph of himself, Meghan, and Archie.” It felt to the now-38-year-old, the author continued, like “the Windsors were airbrushing the Sussexes from history.”
Author Christopher Anderson also discussed it in his Brothers and Wives book. He quoted a source who claimed the queen had a photo of Harry and Meghan removed from her desk.
“[She] looked over the tables where the photographs she had so lovingly selected were arranged,” the source said. Then, they claimed, the queen pointed at a picture of Harry and Meghan, remarking, “That one, I suppose we don’t need that one.”
