Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020. Before they departed from the Firm, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared together at Royal Ascot once. Now, a royal expert claims that Queen Elizabeth II may have given the couple an early warning sign at the time.

Queen Elizabeth wasn’t able to attend the Royal Ascot this year for the first time in her 69 years reign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the race event was attended by other Royal Family members, such as Prince Charles and second wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince Harry and Markle didn’t also attend the Royal Ascot this time, as the Sussexes are now residing in California with their son Archie and newborn Lilibet. Royal expert Daniela Elser claimed that the couple’s first and only appearance at the event appears to be significant now.

Before marrying the former actress, the Duke of Sussex arrived in a carriage with Queen Elizabeth. But, when he attended the event with the Duchess of Sussex after their wedding in 2018, Elser claimed the couple was “mysteriously shunted to the third carriage”.

The royal expert said that this could have been a red flag, indicating that there has been a rift between the Sussexes and the Royal Family as early as 2018. A lot of speculations about them emerged over the past few months, and many believe that there’s a feud between the two parties.

"Take a look back at Ascot 2018, the one and only time Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attended and there is something of a red flag that was largely overlooked which might have suggested that all was not hunky-dory behind the scenes,” Elser wrote in Australia's Daily Telegraph.

Elser added that in 2016, Prince Harry arrived alongside Her Majesty in the first carriage. His next appearance at the Royal Ascot was in 2018, and he was accompanied by Markle. The royal expert noticed that there’s a difference between his appearance in 2016 and 2018.

The Duke of Sussex was no longer in the first carriage and he and his wife were in the “lowlier spot in the carriage.” Elser believed this could’ve suggested there’s already a tension between the couple and other members of the Royal Family.

“While at the time reports were breathlessly focused on Meghan’s outfit for her debut Ascot outing, in hindsight, could Harry and Meghan’s lowlier spot in the carriage procession have been an early warning sign things were coming unstuck for the newlyweds?” the royal expert questioned.

Prince Harry and Markle made a series of explosive revelations against the Firm in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. The couple talked about their times while fulfilling their duties as senior members, which further ignites speculations of the alleged rift.