Queen snubs Harry and Meghan again in Christmas Day message

Queen Elizabeth II has apparently snubbed her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle for the second time in her Christmas Day message to the nation.

The Sussexes reportedly felt hurt when the monarch did not display their nor their son Archie’s picture among other photographs of the royal family on her desk in her annual holiday message in 2019. Since that year, the Queen has changed her tradition of putting pictures of her family members on the desk. Last year, she only put a solo picture of her husband Prince Philip, while this year, she displayed a picture of the late royal and herself that was clicked on their 60th wedding anniversary.

Though she did not display pictures of any of her close family members this year, she did mention them in her speech. She praised her heir Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as her grandson Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, for the work they are doing for the environment.

“He (Prince Philip) was also an early champion of taking seriously our stewardship of the environment; and I am proud beyond words that his pioneering work has been taken on and magnified by our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William – admirably supported by Camilla and Catherine – most recently at the COP climate change summit in Glasgow,” she said.

However, she made no mention of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who quit their royal duties in March 2020 but have been advocating for environmental causes on their own since relocating to the United States. She did, however, pay a subtle nod to Harry and Meghan’s second child whom they have named Lilibet in the monarch’s honour.

“Adults, when weighed down with worries, sometimes fail to see the joy in simple things, where children do not. And for me and my family, even with one familiar laugh missing this year, there will be joy in Christmas, as we have the chance to reminisce, and see anew the wonder of the festive season through the eyes of our young children, of whom we were delighted to welcome four more this year,” she said in her speech.

The 95-year-old has welcomed four great-grandchildren this year. Her granddaughter Princess Eugenie welcomed her first child, son August, with husband Jack Brooksbank in February. Her eldest granddaughter, Zara Tindall, welcomed her third child and first son, Lucas, with husband Mike Tindall in March. Harry and Meghan became parents for the second time with the birth of Lilibet in June, while Eugenie’s elder sister Beatrice also became a mother for the first time and welcomed daughter Sienna with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in September.