Queen Elizabeth II proudly displayed family photos on her desk during her Christmas broadcast, but viewers couldn’t help but notice three glaring omissions from the collection: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and baby Archie. Windsor Castle released a sneak preview pic from the annual December 25 speech, which showed four photos prominently in the foreground depicting members of the royal family: her husband, Prince Philip, father King George VI, son Prince Charles and Camilla, and grandson Prince William and Kate with their three children. Whether it was a conscious choice to not include a pic of her other grandson and his family, or just a mistake, royal watchers immediately saw the exclusion.
“The queen is gross and so is that family except for harry and meghan,” one critic wrote on Twitter. “I just have one question for the Queen. Your highness, Where is the picture of your grandson prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markel [sic] with your great grandson? And thank you,” another person tweeted, including the Queen’s photo. “Queen: ‘put past differences’,” a fan tweeted, referencing the planned speech. “Also queen: f**k Harry and Meghan they’ve pissed me off this year.” During her Christmas speech, Queen Elizabeth II will say that, “small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding. The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference.”
She will also reference the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and the “true spirit of reconciliation” that brought enemies together “by being willing to put past differences behind us and move forward together.” That “bumpy path” the Queen speaks of is almost certainly the scandal involving her son Prince Andrew, who was also excluded from the family photos. Andrew was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in the early 2000s at a property owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reportedly one of his good friends. After a disastrous BBC interview following the allegations that did nothing to help his case, the Queen reportedly canceled his upcoming birthday celebration, and he stepped down from his royal duties.
It’s unclear what beef, if any, she has with Harry and Meghan, though it could stem from Harry and William’s rumored rift. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also eschewed many royal traditions, including refusing to give Archie, now 7 months, a title. The couple are spending Christmas in Canada, and reportedly missed Queen Elizabeth’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
As another royal watcher put it on Twitter, “Prince Andrew: almost certainly a rapist once. Prince Philip: very nearly killed people in a car crash. Harry and Meghan: ‘f**k the media and f**k William and Kate too tbh’. The Queen: LOL what a bumpy year you guyyys.” Another line of thought is that the Queen only shared photos of family members who are in line for the throne. Her two other kids, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, and all of her other grandkids, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, also aren’t on that desk. Regardless, Harry and Meghan are doing just fine. Just look at their adorable Christmas card!