Several major shake-ups in the Royal Family have occurred since Prince Charles ascended to the British throne.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been formally demoted, according to the Independent.
The Sussexes have been demoted
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's photos on the Royal Family website were relegated to the bottom of the page over the weekend.
According to Cosmopolitan, the couple's dedicated sites were featured immediately behind those of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who have since been elevated to the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales, respectively, while they were still employed as members of the family.
Following their resignation from their positions in January 2020, they were forced to take the seat below to Princess Anne. But now that King Charles III has taken the throne, they are directly seated on top of the disgraced Prince Andrew.
Since their notorious exit from senior royal titles in 2020 (known as the Megxit), the duo had seldom returned to the UK from their new residence in California. Before Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, the couple previously flew back to the UK alongside their children, Archie and Lilibet, to attend the historic Platinum Jubilee.
Harry and Meghan were noticeably absent at various celebrations of the event, sparking further rumors about their ongoing feud with other Royal members, especially Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Harry and Meghan's continuous dramas
Their demotion is just the most recent mishap the couple has had in the previous few weeks.
After returning to the UK following his grandmother’s funeral, the Duke of Sussex was forbidden from wearing his military uniform to the impending festivities – unlike the rest of his family. After careful consideration, Charles, 73, permitted him to do so for the actual funeral only under one restriction: he was not allowed to wear his late grandmother's initials on his uniform. Harry, 38, allegedly considered not even wearing the uniform because he was so heartbroken.
Markle and Harry also appeared to have been treated unfairly at the late monarch's funeral when they were made to sit in the second row rather than in front with the other royals.
Ongoing feud with Prince William
Following the Queen's death, the couple spent 11 days in England, but their strained relationship with the royal family didn't seem to get any better. The New Royals author Katie Nicholl told Page Six about Harry’s bitter feud with William, who is now at the top of the succession line.
'I think it’s very sad [that] in the day's Harry was here, there was an opportunity given they were just a couple of hundred yards away from each other for a meeting or dinner or gathering of some sort where they could actually just try to thrash things out.'
Although the fab four (four most popular members of the British Royal Family) — as William, Middleton, Markle, and Harry are known — greeted the grieving crowd outside Windsor Castle together, Nicholl says there was no reconciliation. Had it not been for the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry and Meghan wouldn't pay their relatives a visit during their trip to the UK and Germany for charity purposes. She explained that Harry is 'hotheaded', while William is 'very stubborn':
'William can be very stubborn and hold a grudge. Harry is emotional and hotheaded and they’re both very passionate and there’s a lack of understanding on both parts and resentment on both parts and anger on both parts, that hasn’t been able to be placated and worked through.'
The brothers' friendship deteriorated after Harry and the 41-year-old Suits actor met with Oprah Winfrey to discuss their desire to leave the royal family back in March 2021.
And even though one of the late Queen's dearest desires before her passing was for Harry to make apologies to the family, it seems like there is some resentment still around.
Read more:
⋙ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle set to return to the UK amid growing estrangement
⋙ Kate Middleton and Prince William send birthday wish to Meghan Markle amid royal feud
