Royal Snubs That Made Us All Cringe

To say that the royals have graced us with incredible moments over the decades is certainly an understatement. From then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding of the century to Princess Margaret's own iconic moments with rockstars and nobility throughout her life, the royals know how to create some incredible memories for the Commonwealth — no wonder they're often looked at as rallying symbols for Great Britain and beyond. But, as is typical in any family — and the royals are just that — there are some incredibly awkward interactions that speak much louder than words.

Royal watchers of today can tell you that the world has stood watching with bated breath as Prince William and Prince Harry duel it out in the public eye. What started as rumors about a feud has turned into an all-out war, with Harry's memoir "Spare" seemingly putting the final nail in the coffin. The book itself was full of perceived snubs, and it'll be a miracle if the brothers ever see eye to eye. But royal snubs have existed as long as the family itself has, and though William and Harry are the ones currently in the headlines, they certainly shouldn't be alone. From Princess Anne and Diana's well-documented distaste for one another to Queen Elizabeth's refusal to attend Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding, there are a lot of snubs to account for.

Though Queen Elizabeth was known for her dedication to the crown, she wasn't always directly in line to the throne. Elizabeth's uncle Edward VIII became king in 1936 but quickly abdicated the same year so he could marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee of whom the crown did not approve. The change made Elizabeth's father King George VI ruler of the Commonwealth, and his untimely death in 1952 made Elizabeth queen at an incredibly young age. When she did sit on the throne, Elizabeth gave the title of Duke and Duchess of Windsor to the disgraced Edward and Wallis, who were living outside of Great Britain at the time. This doesn't sound so bad, right? As it turns out, the titles and how they have aged say quite a lot about the royals' feelings toward the couple.

Edward and Wallis — who were arguably hated by the British public — were the last people to ever use the Duke and Duchess of Windsor title (via Express). It has since been banned, dying with them in 1972 and 1986 respectively. After Edward abdicated in 1936, he and Wallis were not allowed to come to an official royal event until 1967 — more than 30 years later — and Edward died just five years after that. One particular moment doesn't capture just how much these two were snubbed by the firm over the years and to this day.

When she first came onto the royal scene, questions about Meghan Markle's relationship with Catherine, Princess of Wales, immediately jumped into the headlines. The two women could not be more different in personality or identity, and while they appeared to get along in the early years of Prince Harry and Meghan's relationship, the brotherly feud and the annexation of Harry and Meghan seemingly tarnished Meghan and Catherine's relationship beyond repair.

In the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death, Harry and Meghan reunited with Prince William and Catherine in a very surprising joint appearance outside of Windsor Castle. While the public celebrated the brothers' coming together, a body language expert asserted that Catherine gave Meghan the cold shoulder throughout the event. Katia Loisal assessed that Catherine made the typically confident Meghan nervous throughout their walkabout, never meeting her eyes and charging ahead with the stiff-upper-lip approach (via Geo News).

"Quite unlike the confident Meghan we know, Meghan appeared ill at ease during this encounter, which is not surprising given the recent criticism that she has faced," Loisal said (via Geo News). "On numerous occasions Meghan looked over at Kate, however, the gaze wasn't reciprocated. ... Meghan's hand lifted hesitantly as if to wave, but stopped mid air, rather pausing to adjust her hair, her head and gaze lowered."

By the time King Charles assumed the crown, his son, Prince Harry, had made his thoughts about the firm and its relationship with the press clear. Harry, for all the press he has done and the experiences he has talked about, has maintained throughout that he has nothing but love for his family — it's the institution that he does not agree with. Nevertheless, Charles went about his duties as king in a way that certainly appeared like a snub to his son, indicating that his commentary was not well received.

As noted by the Daily Mail, Charles officially made Princess Anne and Prince Edward, his two younger siblings, his Counsellors of State — essentially, they can now step in for the king during official events. According to royal biographer Angela Levin, Harry was enraged when Charles chose his siblings instead of his son, even though Charles likely saw it as the only option.

"Of course, it is a slight to Harry and Andrew — but there's a good reason and it's necessary," Levin asserted. "[Harry] lives in California, he's stopped being a working royal, so why should he [be a Counsellor of State]? It isn't about Harry' but instead what the king needs," Levin concluded, though the further annexation between Harry, Meghan Markle, and the rest of the royal family certainly doesn't appear to be getting better.

Just the title of Prince Harry's memoir alone — "Spare" — indicated that he would hold nothing back. When people could sink their teeth into all the revelations the royal made in its pages, readers were certainly halted in their tracks — Harry notably kept his family members out of the book's acknowledgments, the Daily Mail notes.

Now, before we get into the details, we should note that it would've been a little odd for Harry to thank the members of the royal family in a book that pretty much dragged them and the institution. From sharing what really happened between Meghan Markle and Princess Catherine and the bridesmaids' dresses to detailing a physical fight between him and Prince William to positively dragging Camilla, Queen Consort, and her campaign to win over the British public at Harry's expense, the ginger prince held nothing back. When readers did skip to the acknowledgment section, however, they likely realized that Harry snubbed the entire family — add it to the pile.

Thanking Oprah Winfrey, friends James Corden and Chris Martin, Doria Ragland — Meghan's mother — and a number of his therapists for helping him overcome personal hurdles, Harry kept his direct family members out of the book's thanks. He did, however, thank Tyler Perry — who let Harry and Meghan stay in his Los Angeles home when they left Canada — as well as Princess Diana's siblings.

One of the first ceremonial events that a little royal will experience is a christening. Though we don't often consider the royal family to be particularly religious, their role within the Church of England allows for certain spiritual designations — the christening is, by all accounts, a big deal. As noted by Express, the event additionally indicates who will be chosen as the baby's godparents, and with such a wealth of family members to choose from, it should be easy, right? It's not so simple.

When Prince Harry was born and was christened shortly thereafter, Princess Diana and Princess Anne reportedly got into it. According to Angela Levin, author of "Harry: Conversations with the Prince," Anne was already bitter over the fact that she had not been chosen to be Prince William's godmother — to add insult to injury, six members of the royal family were chosen to be godparents, leaving Anne rather snubbed (via Express). When it was indicated that she would yet again not be chosen when it was Harry's turn, a huge fight erupted between her and Diana. Clearly upset, Anne didn't even attend the christening.

The official line from Buckingham Palace at the time informed the public that Anne would not be able to attend, but would meet up with the royal family in the afternoon. But, unofficially, the princess went on a shooting trip instead to blow off some steam.

We couldn't collect the worst royal snubs without mentioning this ongoing slight. When Prince Edward married Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip indicated that upon their passing, Edward would inherit the Duke of Edinburgh title. This particular dukedom is one of the most sought-after within the royal family and was tied to Philip for decades. Such a promise to Edward and Sophie was made not only amid their wedding but also detailed on the royal website for years (via the Daily Mail). The reality, however, is far less simple.

King Charles has not, as of publication, given the sought-after title to his brother but is reportedly saving it for his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, despite his parents' wishes. A royal insider told the Daily Mail that it is assumed Edward will be snubbed in the title process, with the king instead giving the title to Charlotte to mark the constitutional achievement she represents — being the first female in line to the throne not overtaken by her younger brother. "Discussions are under way, but the favoured outcome for the King is that this title ought to go to Princess Charlotte," the source said (via the Daily Mail). "It would be a fitting way to remember the Queen — who, of course, had the title Duchess of Edinburgh — and a way for His Majesty to honour the line of succession."