The 'wake-up call' for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that hinted they 'wouldn’t be stars'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wake up call
(Image credit: Getty)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have received a 'wake-up call' that made them realise they 'wouldn't be stars' after seeing one particular 2020 photo.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have realised they 'wouldn't be stars' after seeing a snap of Prince George with the Queen and future Kings, Prince Charles and Prince William, a royal expert has claimed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have distanced themselves from the royal family in recent years after stepping back as senior working royals and starting a new life for themselves and their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, two, and seven-month-old daughter, Lilibet Diana, in Montecito, California.

A photo posted by on

Royal commentator, Neil Sean, suggested on his YouTube channel that, while the photo had made the Duke and Duchess of Sussex consider their position, it wasn't what caused them to step back. However, he claims it must have been a "wake-up call" for the couple.

He said, "I do believe that it could have been something of a wake-up call to realise that perhaps he and Meghan would never really truly be the superstars of the British monarchy.

“That’s not to say that they don’t garner as much more interest than other senior members of the British monarchy, but sometimes it can be the wrong interest.”

Neil observed that it showed "a new, streamlined monarchy" in the line of royal succession.

He explained, “We have Prince Charles, Prince George, and of course Her Majesty the Queen. And this was going to be showing, alongside William, where the next phase is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUQB0DP6RH0

“Well, of course, if you look at the picture, it makes perfect sense. Obviously, that is the next line-up.”

But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had already decided to step down from the royal family before the image was released in 2020.

He suggested the picture was not the final try, "Harry and Meghan had decided more or less within the first few months of meeting that they could have a different life."

“It wasn’t exactly mapped out word for word, what we’ve ended up with, but certainly for Prince Harry, he wanted to have a different role in his life.

“We’d seen that already with him trying to branch out within the military, and of course, alongside Kate and William, he started those mental health charities.”

Selina Maycock
Senior Entertainment Writer

Selina is currently a Senior Entertainment Writer for Goodto.com, formerly Senior Entertainment writer for Woman&Home, and My Imperfect Life with more than 16 years of experience in newspapers and magazines. She currently writes a mix of Entertainment news - including celebrity births, weddings, reporting the the latest news about the Royal kids Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet as well as Family news stories from baby names to store closures and product recall warnings. Before joining Future Publishing, Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism. She is fully NCTJ and NCE qualified and has 100wpm shorthand. When she's not interviewing celebrities you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories.