Before their highly publicized move to the United States five years ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly experienced a significant “wake-up call” triggered by the release of a new photo of Prince George.

This moment came ahead of their decision to step back from royal duties — a move that has continued to generate headlines, especially following Prince Harry’s recent failed appeal to reinstate his taxpayer-funded security.

Since stepping down in 2020, Harry and Meghan have made it a point to keep their children, Archie and Lilibet, away from public attention. Harry has emphasized that he “didn’t want history repeating itself,” likely alluding to the tragic circumstances surrounding his mother, Princess Diana, and the impact of intense media scrutiny.

During his legal battle, Harry expressed deep concern about the lack of security in the UK, calling it his “worst fear.” He also admitted it’s heartbreaking that he may never be able to safely bring his children back to his home country.

In contrast, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children — George, Charlotte, and Louis — have been part of the public eye since birth, with frequent photos and appearances shared with the public.

It was one particular image of Prince George released several years ago that is said to have triggered a strong reaction from Harry and Meghan — just days before they announced their decision to leave the UK, a moment that quickly became known as “Megxit.”

In his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, royal biographer Andrew Morton explained how one particular photo played a major role in Meghan and Harry’s growing discontent with the royal family. He claimed the couple began to feel as though the institution was working against them — and that their decision to move to the United States may have been forming long before the public realized, all because of one telling image.

According to Morton, a photo of Prince George released in January 2020 was a turning point. It reportedly confirmed Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave royal life behind.

The photo, taken in Buckingham Palace’s Throne Room, featured Queen Elizabeth II alongside three future kings: Prince Charles (now King Charles III), Prince William, and young Prince George, who was only seven years old at the time.

“To mark the start of a new decade, a portrait has been released of Her Majesty The Queen and Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge, and Prince George. The portrait was taken by Ranald Mackechnie in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace,” the caption read on the royal family’s official Instagram page.

While the image was in line with traditional royal portraits — highlighting the monarchy’s future — Morton claimed it further widened the gap between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royals.

He wrote that the couple felt increasingly isolated, believing the system was against them. “They saw signs everywhere,” he said. “The message was clear: the monarchy would go on — with or without Meghan and Harry.”

Morton reiterated this in The Mirror’s Pod Save The King podcast, suggesting that plans for the couple’s move to the U.S. may have started much earlier than most people assumed.

According to claims, “Harry was having conversations in a London hotel with Oprah Winfrey back in November 2018, just six months after they’d been married. So they were thinking about a different direction of travel pretty early on.”

Despite ongoing speculation about Harry and Meghan’s future, Harry recently expressed a desire to mend ties with his family while addressing his legal defeat against the BBC.

“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he admitted.

“Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”