The image had astonished everyone. At the time of Elizabeth II’s last televised vows, the photo of her great grandson, Archie, was not on the Queen’s desk, saddened by the tensions within the royal family.
This is the tradition every year. On 25 December, Queen Elizabeth II sends her greetings to her fellow citizens. But last year, the atmosphere was not at the party. William and Harry’s grandmother first admitted that she had spent a year “strewn with obstacles”.
But what impressed observers the most were the photos on the desk at Sandringham Castle during her speech. Charles and Camilla, William, Kate and their three children could be seen prominently, but there was no trace of Harry, Meghan or Archie.
“The Queen simply mentioned the birth of her great-grandchild in passing, without mentioning his name or that of his parents,” commented writer Robert Lacey in his book Battle of Brothers.
It was a way for Queen Elizabeth II to send a strong message to Sussex and express her “disappointment at the announcement of Archie’s birth, which, unlike all princely births in modern times, took place in total secrecy,” the writer continues. Harry and Meghan also refused to make public the names of their child’s godparents. Another disappointment in the eyes of the sovereign.
Meghan’s and Harry’s missteps hurt the Queen
Not to mention Meghan’s missteps. We remember this interview, filmed during an official trip to Africa, where the former actress admits that the tabloids made it a difficult year for her. She said: “What all this is doing to me is probably very destructive, and the worst part is that I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but at least I thought it would be fair”.
What sounds like a touching confession in the eyes of the common man was something Queen Elizabeth II was very unhappy about. “The Windsor people (…) don’t complain on the air like any Johnny Depp,” says Robert Lacey. And then the final blow before his televised speech: Meghan and Harry extended their holiday in Canada and didn’t come back to Sandringham for Christmas.