Queen Elizabeth Left Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Out of Her 2021 Christmas Address

The queen reportedly chose to have a photo of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex removed from her desk during the taping, while displaying a large photo of the Cambridge family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. 

“The queen hasn’t decided what to do about [Prince Harry’s decision to leave],” Andersen told Us Weekly. “There’s a point at which—just before she gives a speech to the director on set—[she is] asked which photographs she wants in the shot next to her.” The queen reportedly pointed to a photo of the Sussex family and said, “We won’t be needing that one.” 

The omission of his family was reportedly painful for Prince Harry. “I think that was a hurtful [thing for him to see],” Andersen continued. “A friend of Harry’s told me that he felt that he was being erased in a sense from the family. And it was right after that, that they made their [decision to leave the U.K.]. I think that was one of the things that prompted them to issue the statement that they were stepping back from royal [life for a] full-time real life.”

He continued, “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.” 

This year, the only photo featured on the White Drawing Room desk at Windsor Castle was of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.