Prince Harry and Meghan Markle counter new royal portrait with their own unofficial photo

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have once again caused a stir online after new striking photos of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were shared shortly after Buckingham Palace released a new official portrait of the Royal Family they turned their backs on.

Buckingham Palace recently released a new portrait that featured King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales taken at the reception held for world leaders and dignitaries who were in attendance for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

 

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According to ET, this is the same event that Harry and Meghan had been uninvited from as it was a gathering that only working Royal Family members were permitted to attend.

Per ET, the couple’s disinvite to the reception is one of the many signs shown by the Royal Family regarding their attitude towards Harry and Meghan’s participation in royal matters.

As reported by Town and Country, it is understood that King Charles is hoping to run a smaller monarchy, with the new core of the Royal Family being Charles and William and their wives, while the extension of the working royals being limited to two of Charles’s siblings—Princess Anne and Prince Edward—along with Edward’s wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

The new royal portrait was released days after the family’s mourning period had ended but has reportedly already been overshadowed by the images of Princes Harry and Meghan.

 

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The first image shows the couple just “moments before” they hit the stage at the One Young World Summit in Manchester on September 5, where Meghan was a keynote speaker.

In the shot, Meghan is dressed in head-to-toe red as she stares ahead at the camera while the fingers of her left hand cling to Prince Harry’s hand, who is standing behind her giving the camera a smile.

 

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The second image is a dramatic black-and-white shot of the couple standing side by side and holding hands as they wait to make their stage appearance.

Both images have received a plethora of praise on social media, with many calling the couple “stunning” and “beautiful”.

“What a stunning picture, you bring out something in them for sure. It is a level of comfort, trust and respect,” one user wrote.

“What a beautiful & STRONG picture,” another commented.

Despite the Royal Family seemingly being at odds with Prince Harry and Markle, the popularity of members of the current British monarchy has skyrocketed with crowds across the UK showing their support for both their new King and Prince of Wales.