This year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their return to international travel to promote their charitable projects, and in the couple’s public 2024 holiday card, most of the attention was on their trips to Nigeria and Colombia. But they did include one photograph of their life at home with their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, and three dogs.
The rare family photo shows Meghan and Harry embracing Archie and Lilibet, but it doesn’t show the children’s faces. Despite that, it’s easy to see that they have held onto the bright red hair that they inherited from their father, and now Lilibet’s hair has grown longer than her shoulders.
Courtesy of Archewell.
This summer, a friend told People that the prince avoids showing pictures of their children due to concerns for their security. “Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats,” the friend said. “He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm.” Though early pictures of Archie were released when the couple were still working royals, only a few photographs of Lilibet have been released to the public. Of them, only one—a birthday party snapshot taken by friend Misan Harriman—shows her face.
In addition to the family photo, the card features two pictures from the couple’s May trip to Nigeria, including a school visit where Meghan was gifted a necklace made of wooden beads, and Harry’s visit to a military hospital. It also features photos from a trip to a music festival, a school, and a cultural center during their August visit to Colombia. “We wish you a very happy holiday season,” the card reads, “and a joyful new year.”
Though the rest of the Windsor family is planning a large Christmas celebration at Sandringham, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly planning to spend the holiday season at their home in Montecito, the small Santa Barbara enclave where they have lived since 2020.
