Sharing sweet videos from their intimate family celebration at home in Montecito, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marked their eighth wedding anniversary last week.
In a carousel of clips posted to Meghan’s social media, Harry, 41, is seen holding a lemon and elderflower cake (the same delicacy they had opted for on their 2018 wedding day at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor), topped with candles as he and the couple’s children – Archie, seven, and Lilibet, four – can be heard singing to Meghan.
The Duchess, 44, also shared a selection of official wedding photographs taken on the day itself, simply captioned ‘Eight years ago today’.
However, it quickly became apparent to followers scrolling through the snaps that, beyond Harry and Meghan themselves, and one picture of King Charles walking his daughter-in-law down the aisle, any evidence that the Royal Family had attended – let alone played a huge role – in their wedding day, appeared to be swiped from their memories altogether.
A source later confirmed, ‘That omission did not go unnoticed. The photos focused entirely on Harry and Meghan. It was like the royals had been erased from the story.’
Yet while on the surface it may seem like the Sussexes had indeed snubbed the royals, it quickly became apparent that this was not just one-sided when it was further revealed that not a single member of Harry’s family had shared their well wishes for the day.
Now a source tells us that this silence, particularly from his father, has come as a massive ‘slap in the face’ to Harry, at a time when their rift appeared to be on the cusp of finally being healed for good.
An insider says, ‘In an ideal world they would have gotten a public message from the King, they never would have expected anything from the Waleses, but they were hoping Charles might extend some sort of olive branch, to signify to everyone that they are back in the fold.
‘The fact that he not only ignored their big day publicly but also privately was a massive slap in the face and it has left Harry completely shocked. Harry genuinely believed things were starting to thaw with his father, so this has hit him a lot harder than most people would probably expect.
‘He feels very let down by Charles, he says it’s like a bait and switch because he was given every impression that there would be some sort of message.’
There were no public ‘congratulations’ from the Wales family ©Getty Images
Understandably then, the insider says that this latest humiliation had not only cast a shadow over their own private celebrations, but has now given both Harry and Meghan major anxiety ahead of their proposed joint trip to the UK in July.
‘Harry now got Meghan questioning him on just how awkward their trip to the U.K. will be, she’s taking this as proof they aren’t wanted, and it’s got Harry wondering the same thing, which has just gutted him,’ the insider says.
‘He’s been reassuring her for months that he and Charles have made peace and has gone so far as to tell people that his father is on the verge of publicly acknowledging their renewed bond. So, to have Charles totally snub them like this has made him look pretty unreliable, either through naivety or subterfuge, and this has been a very public embarrassment.’
To make matters worse, it has also been speculated by royal observers that neither Harry nor Meghan had received any messages, even privately, from the royals.
Columnist Rob Shuter said, ‘There was no phone call, no private message, no peace offering, absolutely nothing. The silence was very intentional.’
It’s certainly a far cry from the image of Charles, 77, as the doting father-in-law on their wedding day eight years ago and comes after it was recently revealed how the King, or a member of his staff, had removed a photograph of Harry and Meghan’s wedding day from a prominent spot on a side table at Highgrove House.
And now the source says the silence may have only strengthened Meghan’s alleged view that she is not welcome in the UK.
William, Kate and family at Meghan and Harry’s wedding in 2018 ©Getty Images
The insider says, ‘It’s given her [Meghan] a lot of ammunition towards her argument that it’s a mistake for her to make the trip over to the U.K. this summer. She would much prefer he goes without her and the children and now his big argument about Charles being so keen to strengthen the relationship and put all the bad blood behind them is ringing very hollow.
‘She is now even more convinced that they’re walking straight into another cold, awkward situation where they’ll be publicly sidelined and shunned.’
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton and Prince William delighted fans when they released their own family photograph on their official social media page to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary, which fell on April 29.
Believed to have been taken while the family holidayed in their favourite spot of Norfolk in the UK, William, 43, and Kate, 44, are pictured lying on their backs in the long grass with their children by their sides; limbs entangled and with happy, smiling faces.
Joining Kate, William and their children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, eight – were their two beloved spaniels, Orla, five, and one-year-old Otto.
While Charles didn’t release his own official congratulations, the fact that the image is likely to have been approved by the Firm already speaks volumes, and the source claims William has been left ‘thrilled’ by the silent treatment his brother has received.
‘Naturally William is thrilled his father swerved this, he’s bragging that it’s a sign he’s one step closer to getting Harry booted. It should have been a special day but this cast a huge shadow over it, Harry has been in a funk ever since,’ the source says.
However, with his trip to the UK for an event celebrating the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games now just weeks away, we’re told how Harry is still holding out hope that this snub stemmed from royal protocol, rather than a personal attack or sign that his father disapproves of his marriage.
The insider says, ‘Harry is still clinging to the hope that things might improve. He doesn’t want to give up and let William get exactly what he wants, which is to see Harry pushed further and further to the margins until eventually they have no meaningful relationship to the family left at all.
‘He’s determined to hang on to his place and he’s saying that he needs Meghan’s help to do that, he wants her by his side and is insisting they go ahead with their plans. Needless to say this is causing a lot of strain and that’s not exactly put them in the celebratory mood.’
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