As it so often does, the Royal Family just released a new official family portrait this past weekend, which shows clear as day the "future of the monarchy," as Omid Scobie would have it.
Right now, that future doesn't seem to include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were front and center of the operation while they were working royals.
Instead, the portrait depicts King Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, gathered for a formal reception the night before Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
For royal columnist Richard Kay, the choice of this photo as the latest official Palace communication with the world is a deliberate one, which stands in contrast to earlier official photos which would have been expected to include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"So it is not difficult to imagine how this picture will be viewed in sunny California, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are based," Kay writes in the Daily Mail.
"Might it deepen their feelings of exclusion and exile, or will it merely serve to remind them why they chose to break from the family in the first place?
"It surely can be no coincidence that the picture was taken when the couple were still in Britain and several days before they returned home to their children Archie and Lilibet.
"It must, therefore, be yet another signal that they will never again return to their central role in royal life."
There's certainly a world where this is true, but other commentators have hypothesized that Charles and William would need—or at the very least, want—to welcome back Harry into the fold in some shape or form. At the moment, it looks like it all very much rides on what happens with the Duke of Sussex' memoir, and his and his wife's other slated media projects.
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King Charles Employs 28 Personal Household Staff Members That Have to Do Some Really Weird Job Duties
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One of King Charles’ Siblings Was Adamant That Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Be Evicted from Frogmore Cottage
Meanwhile, another sibling was “uneasy” about the decision.
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Despite the Royal Family’s Disdain for Princess Diana When She Was Alive, It Regularly Pushed Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle to Dress Like Her, New Book Claims
“During the past 13 years, Diana cosplay has become a royal staple.”
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If You Want to Work for the Prince and Princess of Wales, You Have To Pass a Truly Bizarre Test First
We, um, were not expecting this.
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King Charles Had Just Two Frosty Words for Son Prince Harry After the Release of the Netflix Docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’
The King’s composure surrounding his younger son allegedly broke for a moment.
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The Royal Family Needn’t Worry: 'Spare' Volume II Won't Happen, Omid Scobie Says
Prince Harry has previously said he could write a whole other book with content left on the cutting room floor.
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Meghan Markle Became the “Star of the Show” When She Married Into the Royal Family, Omid Scobie Writes
She was “Princess Diana all over again,” the newly released 'Endgame' reads.
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Prince William is Jealous of Prince Harry’s Ability to “Break Away” from the Royal Establishment, Omid Scobie Writes
“It’s easy to see why William’s fury is bubbling to the top.”
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Prince William and Prince Harry Will Probably Only See One Another for One Occasion Henceforth
And it’s not an occasion anyone relishes.
