Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas message subtle snub to Prince Harry, Meghan?

Despite any challenges in their relationships with King Charles or Prince William, Meghan and Prince Harry have consistently spoken of Queen Elizabeth with the utmost respect and affection. 

The late Queen also affirmed their place as cherished family members, even amid tough negotiations over their royal exit and subsequent allegations about the royal household. 

However, royal expert Robert Lacey, writing in the Daily Mail, suggests that a particular moment during the Queen’s 2019 Christmas message might have revealed her true sentiments towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 

Lacey points out that, unlike previous years, the Sussexes were notably absent from the framed photographs displayed on the Queen’s desk during her festive address.

"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.