A photograph of Prince George alongside Prince William, the then-Prince Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly the "catalyst" behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's final decision to step down as senior working royals. According to one royal author, the image showing four generations of the Royal Family was a "final wake-up cal" as they debated their future in the Firm.

In his book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, royal author Andrew Morton, who famously penned Diana: Her True Story in 1992, writes about the photograph of George, now aged 11, shared just days before Meghan and Harry's decision was made public.

According to Morton, "The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them. As they saw it, the evidence was all around them.

"The unspoken code was straightforward: the future of the monarchy was assured, with or without Meghan and Harry."

On January 8, 2020, Meghan and Harry took to their then-joint Instagram account, @sussexroyal, to share the surprising news of their future. The couple later moved to the US with their son Archie, now aged six, before welcoming their daughter Lilibet the following year.

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