Prince Harry’s decision to step down as a senior working royal were solidified after one particular incident with Prince George, which served as a “wake up call” to the Duke, according to a royal expert.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would be quitting the Firm in January 2020, sending shockwaves across the world.

A few days earlier, Buckingham Palace had released a new photograph featuring the late Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Prince William, and a six-year-old Prince George. According to royal author Andrew Morton, following the poignant snap highlighting the monarchy’s future, the Sussex couple felt the Firm was “plotting against them.” He wrote in his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess: “The royal couple suspected that the entire institution was conspiring against them.

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

The book said that Harry’s “fears were later confirmed” when he cancelled a meeting with the late Queen to discuss his royal future.

He wrote: “This sense that, despite their international popularity, they were low down the Royal totem pole was confirmed when Harry arranged to meet the Queen for a grandson-to-grandmother chat in early January.

The meeting was abruptly rescheduled.

“Charles suspected classic internal politics, his family concerned that anything the Queen agreed during informal conversations would be used by Harry as a negotiating tactic.”

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” Harry and Meghan said in a statement announcing their decision to leave the Royal Family in January 2020.

Days after the so-called Sandringham Summit, the couple and the royals agreed that they would no longer use their titles for commercial purposes and step down from a senior working capacity.