How Harry and Meghan have reverted to private shots of Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie in 2024 Christmas card - after previously showing their faces
- Festive card featured family image alongside highlights of couple's year
- READ MORE: Princess Lilibet looks VERY similar to her cousin Princess Charlotte in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 'holiday' card - as royal fans spot sweet parallel
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long been a fan of an official family Christmas card - but there's seemingly one notable - and significant - change in approach in the couple's latest holiday greeting.
Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan, 42, released six images on Monday, reflecting their 2024 highlights, including charity work and their trip to Columbia in August.
Front and centre was a family photo of the Sussexes being greeted by their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, at their home in Montecito, California.
The image shows Lilibet running into her father's waiting arms, while her brother makes a beeline for Meghan.
However, unlike in previous photos of the couple's children - and indeed in their appearances in 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan and 2021 Apple TV's The Me You Can't See, neither Archie or Lilibet's faces are shown in the new photo of the family.
The adorable new image shows the youngsters from behind, with Lilibet's long hair flowing down her back and Archie looking significantly taller than in previous appearances on camera.
The last official photograph of Princess Lilibet was released on the occasion of her first birthday, when the Sussexes gave the world a rare glimpse of their daughter.
Little has been seen of the princess since photos released to mark her first birthday at Frogmore Cottage during the Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
The Sussexes' latest Christmas card shows their two children Princess Lilibet, three, and her brother Prince Archie, five, running towards their parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - the image could suggest the couple have become less keen on photos showing their childrens' faces as they reach pre-school and school age
In the early years after their childrens' births, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared happy to release photos of their faces - but this year's Christmas card may mark a sea change for them when it comes to Archie and Lilibet's privacy
The then toddler was captured on film at her tea party in the Windsor estate, she was seen with reddish locks, smiling and dressed in a pale blue frock with a white bow in her hair.
Archie has been photographed more regularly since his birth at the Portland Hospital in London in May 2019.
Both the five-year-old and his younger sister appeared in Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary series, but Archie took more of a starring role.
Footage of Archie included the then toddler chasing seagulls at the beach, helping his parents pick oranges in their Montecito garden and playing with his two beloved family dogs – Labrador Pula and a Beagle called Guy.
The young prince has attended pre-school, kindergarten and is set to start full-time education when he turns six, with his sister thought to already be attending a nursery setting.
As the couple's children enrol at local schools, Harry and Meghan are likely to seek much greater privacy for them - with not showing their faces in their latest holiday card likely to be the first step.
The season's greetings from Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation showcased the highlights of the Sussexes' year, including pictures from their four-day visit to Colombia in August.
Prince Harry with Archie in the couple's 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan
In previous years, the couple have been happy to show their children's faces; this Christmas card was released on Dec 23, 2021
In 2022, Archie featured in the Netflix documentary on the couple's new life in California, the then toddler is seen walking along the beach with his mother and their pet beagle, Guy
The season's greetings from Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation also showcased the highlights of the Sussexes' year, including pictures from their four-day visit to Colombia in August.
The card was shared on X/ Twitter by the Sussexes' long-time friend and royal reporter Omid Scobie .
Scobie, who wrote the couple's biography Finding Freedom, captioned his post: 'The Sussexes share highlights of their year on the 2024 Archewell holiday card.'
The card also included a personal message from the pair, which read: '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.'
Several people were delighted to see a 'glimpse of the kiddos' on the new card, with one person adding: 'So cute to see a picture of their children.
'They are really redheads!'
Archie was also seen, this time with thick curls, playing with a toy grand piano in the Netflix series
Archie with his mother during her royal tour of South Africa with her husband Prince Harry in September 2019
Baby Archie seen in the arms of his grandmother Doria Ragland as she sits alongside Meghan and Harry at Frogmore Cottage shortly after his birth
Another comment read: 'Okay so of course I went right to the photo of the kids!! Red heads!! Just like my grandkids!! I love it!!'
A third user exclaimed: 'Omg. There [sic] babies have such red hair!!'
While their new 'holiday' card celebrates some of the couple's milestone moments, Harry and Meghan's latest project - a Netflix docuseries about posh polo - has received scathing reviews from critics.
The five-part docuseries, which was released on December 10, centres around the build-up to the polo World Cup in Florida and mainly focuses on players such as Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Timmy Dutta, and Nacho Figueras.
The documentary, part of Harry and Meghans £80m-deal with Netflix, promised that it would showcase the 'true depth and spirit of the sport' as well as the 'intensity of its high-stakes moments'.
Following its release, however, any hope that Polo would join the ranks of great sport documentaries such as Disney +'s Welcome to Wrexham and 2020's The Last Dance, were quickly dashed - with critics largely panning the 'boring' series.
Receiving two stars or less out of five across the board, the programme has been labelled 'a tedious inside-look at posh polo' and a 'mostly boring look at a sport that very few people outside of elite circles have any particular interest in'.
Harry and Meghan, who served as executive producers of the series, make a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the documentary, with fans having to wait until episode five to catch a glimpse of the couple.
Another photo that appears in the Christmas card shows Prince Harry planting a kiss on Meghan's forehead in a photo taken during their four-day visit to Colombia in August
And this shot of the couple, also in Columbia, also features on the festive missive
Charity work, one of the six images shows Prince Harry during a visit to the the wards of the Nigerian military hospital Kaduna
The Telegraph's Ed Power noted there was 'not enough of the Sussexes to make this anything other than a dull indulgence about a rich person’s pursuit'.
Earlier this month, it was revealed Prince Harry and Meghan will not be joining the royal family for Christmas this year as they have reportedly not been invited to the festivities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven't received an invitation to the royals' Christmas at Sandringham, it has been reported.
They are expected to spend the festive holidays in America instead with their children Archie and Lilibet.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to Montecito, California, after they stepped down as senior members of The Firm in January 2020.
Meghan previously revealed how the Sussexes celebrate the holidays in America in an interview with Marie Claire, noting the festivities are always 'low-key'.
She said: 'We're always making sure we have something to do,' the Duchess told the magazine. 'Like any other family, you spend time having a great meal and then what do you do? Play games, all the same stuff, someone brings a guitar - fun.'
The former Suits actress also stressed the importance of making 'room at your table for your friends who don't have family' such as feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who once joined the Sussexes' Thanksgiving party.
Meghan, who married Harry in 2018, added it is important to the couple that Archie and Lilibet experience the 'magic' of festive traditions such as putting out 'carrots for the reindeer' at Christmas.
