Prince Harry and Meghan have two children, Prince Archie, born on May 6, 2019 and Princess Lilibet, born on June 4, 2021. The two are now five and three years old, respectively.
Discover our latest podcast
Since leaving the Royal Family in 2020, the couple have kept their children's lives private. As a result, there are very few pictures of the young Sussexes. In 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan’s Christmas card featured their two children. The following year, the couple released Lilibet’s first official portrait.
This year (2024), Prince Harry and Meghan decided to feature their two children on their annual Christmas card.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s 2024 Christmas card
Prince Harry and Meghan have released their annual Christmas card for 2024. The card features six photos, highlighting the couple’s year. These include photos from their trip to Colombia and Nigeria.
However, the highlight for fans and the media is the new photo of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. In the photo, you can see the two young children running toward their parents alongside the family’s dogs.
Princess Lilibet is wearing a summer dress, knee-high socks and black shoes. Prince Archie is wearing a khaki jumper, jeans and trainers. The children’s parents are also dressed casually, with Prince Harry sporting blue jeans and a green shirt.
The couple’s Christmas card reads:
On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundations. We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and a joyful new year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released their official 2024 Christmas card 🎄✨ Spot the heartwarming image of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embracing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
— HELLO! Canada (@HelloCanada) December 16, 2024
📷: Archewell pic.twitter.com/B4iMYbIruq
As per The Independent, this Christmas card’s purpose is solely professional and will be used by the couple and their team. Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly sending a separate card to their close family and friends.
Everyone is saying the same thing about Archie and Lilibet
As expected, the internet has gone crazy over this brand-new photo of Archie and Lilibet as they are so rarely seen. Many Sussex fans took to X to share their thoughts on the photo, and one theme seemed to be recurrent: The children’s height, as reported by Express.
Indeed, many social media users couldn’t get over how tall both Sussex children are:
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet look so tall!
OMG look how big Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are.
What a beautiful and happy family [teary eyed-face emoji] Lilibet is almost as tall as Archie!
Other fans of the couple also commented on Lilibet’s long hair. Earlier in the year, Prince Harry noted that his daughter had inherited Meghan’s long hair, which going by the photo, seems true. However, fans are also picking up on her ginger hair, which she inherited from her father, per Mirror.
One user wrote:
Look at Lili's long hair!
While another added:
Look at Lilibet's red waves! Perfect mix of H&M!
A third commenter:
Such lovely, flowing hair.
Unfortunately, as it often happens on the internet, Harry and Meghan's photos also ignited a frenzy of conspiracy theories.
Internet goes crazy with conspiracy theories about Harry and Meghan’s ‘staged’ Christmas card
Critics have been speculating on the authenticity of the photo and the portrayal of Archie and Lilibet. The Christmas card - which shows a happy Sussex family in a candid moment - has led some to bizarrely believe that the couple used AI to create children or ‘borrowed’ some to pose as their own, reports MailOnline.
Indeed, there are rather bizarre claims making the rounds that the photo is digitally altered. Some of the skeptics have even taken the time to curate what they consider to be discrepancies and oddities in the image.
One inaccuracy that kept appearing in the comments was the photo's low resolution, Meghan’s long arm, the black dog with 3 legs and Archie’s dark hair.
One self-proclaimed ‘royal historian’ said:
Meghan’s arm is twice as long as a normal arm.
The black dog has 3 legs and a strange shimmering edge to his body.
Archie went from dark auburn hair to dead straight ginger hair.
Does this look familiar?
— How2Fake2Pregnancies&NOTgetAwayWithItByMM (@Marly21036678) December 18, 2024
Clothing/shoes etc😏
A bit of tweaking on the size/ some highlights added & you can use the unused footage from another failed project!
Coincidence? I think NOT @StephanieSidley@TheRoyalGriftpic.twitter.com/05uUDdkm3A
Meghan’s feet face forward but her torso is side on.
Both kids are exactly the same height despite a two-year age difference
Others added:
Archie hasn't grown in two years and is the same size as his younger sister... What is this garbage?
Who thought this scene with such OBVIOUS staging was a good idea?
Is the photo AI-generated or fake? Experts weigh in
Amid the wild conspiracies taking form online, experts have weighed in to counter these baseless theories. James Middleton, a Photoshop expert, explained that the card’s small size makes it difficult to determine if it has been digitally manipulated. He added:
Meghan looks a little painted. It could be just a trick of the light, being so mottled and her white jumper. I think that the position of her feet seem okay and where they should be.
Read more:
Prince Harry & Meghan: Could their children, Archie and Lilibet become working royals in the future?
Sources used:
The Independent: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘happy holidays’ card features rare pictures of Archie and Lilibet’
Express: ‘Royal fans all say same thing about Princess Lilibet on Harry and Meghan’s Christmas card’
Mirror: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fans saying same thing as couple share cute Christmas card’
Daily Mail: Harry and Meghan's 'holiday' card sparks wild conspiracy theories: Royal fans spread baseless claims photo of Archie and Lilibet is 'faked' with Photoshop and they've used 'AI children' in deliberately blurred image
