Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were tipped 'over the edge' by tense moment at Christmas

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry last spent Christmas with the Royal Family in 2018 and it seems one thing left them 'furious' after the final festive gettogether

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were said to be "furious" following a Christmas snub from the Royal Family, leaving them certain they needed to make their "own path".

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from The Firm in 2020 after one particular moment was the "final straw" for them just one year earlier. The couple spent the 2019 festive period in America with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland and they were allegedly left "furious" during the late Queen Elizabeth's Christmas broadcast. As the monarch addressed viewers, family portraits were clearly visible on her desk. However, one was missing as there was no picture of Meghan and Harry with their then-newborn son Prince Archie.

In the book Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed the Sussexes believed the Royal Family were "conspiring against them" with the move. They said the couple felt they had "long been sidelined by the institution and were not a fundamental part of its future".

They wrote: "One didn't have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day. In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen delivered her address, viewers glimpsed photos of the [Waleses] and their children, Charles and Camilla, Prince Philip, and a black-and-white image of George VI. "Noticeably absent was a photo of Harry, Meghan, and their new baby, Archie." The authors said palace sources insisted the photos were chosen to represent the "direct line of succession".

However, Omid and Carolyn said Harry and Meghan felt it was "yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path." After stepping back from the Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved their family to Montecito, California. Meghan and Harry were lucky enough to get a "pretty good deal" on their new home, snapping up the nine-bedroom property for $14.65million (£11.8million) in 2020. Meghan has previously said her mansion makes her "feel free" and is "calm and healing" to live in the luxury home in the gated community in Santa Barbara. When Meghan and Harry moved to Montecito, they gained neighbours such as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. The exclusive neighbourhood features plenty of greenery to hide the sprawling mansions and a "delicious" pizza place, according to talk show host Ellen.