The Royals' New Family Photo Is Causing Major Drama Right Now

The royal family's official Instagram account dropped a fancy new portrait of King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton over the weekend, and (to put it mildly) it raised some eyebrows.

The portrait was taken at Buckingham Palace one night before Queen Elizabeth's funeral, the night of a reception held for world leaders and royals from other countries.

It's immediately apparent that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are missing from this family picture, and what's even more side-eye-inducing is the fact that it was seemingly taken at the reception they were "uninvited" from. Quick refresher:

Per The Telegraph, Meghan and Harry had initially received an invitation to the reception, but were then "uninvited” and told it was for “working members of the royal family only.” At the time, sources close to the Sussexes said they were “baffled,” while Palace aides insisted that "they were not invited and were not expected to show up."

Royal expert Richard Kay writes in the Daily Mail that "the unspoken elephant in the room is the absence of the King's younger son" and that speculates that the photo may "deepen feelings of exclusion and exile."

"There is a finality about this photo that suggests there is no way back for a couple who could have been at the epicentre of royalty, but are now at its margins," he adds.

Meghan and Harry haven't commented on being excluded from this image—or on being "uninvited" from the party where it was taken—but it's possible we could get their reaction in their upcoming Netflix docuseries, so stay tuned.

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