Four years ago, the world witnessed the christening of Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor—a seemingly touching family event filled with love and joy. However, beneath the surface, there was a simmering tension within the Royal Family that became increasingly evident, with some notable figures conspicuously absent from the event.
Normally, christenings are attended by all senior royals, and the press captures photographs of the family arriving and leaving the service.
Yet, on this particular day, a small group of pre-selected press photographers was denied access to the event, raising eyebrows. Even more surprising was the absence of Queen Elizabeth II herself, who cited a prior commitment as the reason for her non-attendance.
However, according to exclusive revelations from journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett in their book "Royals at War," the Queen's absence conveyed a profound message of disapproval towards her grandson and his American wife, Meghan Markle. A well-informed insider from the Palace revealed that the Queen and Prince Philip felt publicly embarrassed by Meghan's perceived controlling behavior, which led them to stay away from this significant occasion. The tension between the Queen and Meghan had been building for years, and her absence spoke volumes about the strained relationship.
Meghan's privacy lawsuit against the parent company of the Daily Mail shed light on her claims of feeling unsupported by the institution during her pregnancy with Archie. She alleged being "prohibited from defending herself" against negative and false reporting. These revelations from the lawsuit reignited public interest in the strained relationship between Meghan and the Royal Family.
Despite announcing their decision to step down as senior royals in January 2020, Harry and Meghan continued to cause PR challenges for the Palace. Their unsuccessful battle to retain the use of the word "royal" in their overseas branding added further tension and controversy to their position within the Royal Family.
