MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have released their annual Christmas card – but according to one royal expert, there’s an ”odd” feature that proves the Sussexes don’t really care.
The card – which included a rare new image of their kids Archie, five, and Lilibet, three – was a collage of photos from their year.
In the family snap, the young kids could be seen running towards Meghan, 42, and Harry’s, 40, outstretched arms in a garden.
In total, six images are featured with the forest green card, sent by email, which has the message: “On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful New Year.”
One picture shows Meghan embracing a young girl while in another Harry puts his arm around his wife.
Another photo shows the couple laughing while sitting in a row of people, the fifth is at an outdoor event with the Sussexes wearing sunglasses and smiling, and in the final image the duke clasps hands with a man lying in a bed.
Royal Correspondent at GB News Cameron Walker has analysed the Christmas card and shared his thoughts on the final episode of the Royal Exclusive show of the year.
He told The Sun’s Matt Wilkinson: ”The first thing I noticed were the words on the top, which was ‘On behalf of the office of the Duke ad the Duchess of Sussex […]’ – which was very odd phrasing to me.
”It didn’t seem very personable, it didn’t seem like it was from Harry and Meghan themselves,” noted Cameron.
”It sounds to me that maybe somebody in their office thought that it was a good idea to send a Christmas card.
”I can see what they were trying to do – the six photographs were almost kind of like a review of the year.
”There was one from their Nigeria visit, there was one from their Colombia visit, one of Meghan hugging children, one of Harry hugging somebody in a hospital bed as well, and one which perhaps has been talked about the most – the two of them with their two children from behind.
”That emphasises that they aren’t doing things perhaps in complete Royal Family way – because unlike William and Catherine‘s children we see them in regular intervals each year, whereas last official photograph of Lilibet, for example, was on her first birthday in 2022.”
Although some may feel that the Sussexes, who didn’t feature their kids on last year’s card, have given up following the royal protocol, Cameron suspects the couple follow the advice their PR team recommends.
”They have said to them ‘You need to keep some kind of royal link- because that is what gives you importance’.
”Because otherwise, what have you got? You’ve just got somebody doing a cookery show or having a lifestyle brand like everybody else has in Hollywood.”
ONE royal tradition that Prince Harry has taken into his new California life is opening presents on Christmas Eve.
The royal wrote in Spare about his 2020 celebrations: “It was Christmas Eve. We FaceTimed with several friends, including a few in Britain.
“We watched Archie running around the tree. And we opened presents. Keeping to the Windsor family tradition.”
Harry also opened up about how they chose their Christmas tree.
He wrote: “We took Archie to find a Christmas tree.
“A pop-up lot in Santa Barbara. We bought one of the biggest spruces they had.
“We brought home, set it up in the living room. Magnificent.
“We stood back, admiring, counting our blessings. New home. Healthy boy.”
In an interview with Marie Claire, Meghan shared that Archie and Lilibet leave out “carrots for the reindeer”.
The couple are likely to spend the festive period with Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland.
For nearly a year there have been rumours that mum-of-two Meghan is making her own show celebrating “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.
But there has been little update on the series – supposed to complement her luxury brand American Riviera Orchard – with no release date in sight.
A Netflix insider told MailOnline the duchess’ show may never come to fruition – while others claim if it ever does get made it will be “make or break” for the couple’s hopes of a TV dynasty.
They added: “People say Netflix are exhausted. It’s so much work with her and, bluntly, the ‘deliverable’ does not seem to be worth it.”
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie echoed the sentiment and added that the pair were using the tactics ”to look more important” than they actually are.
Last year, the couple sent out a card which featured a single shot of Meghan and Harry in formal wear during the closing ceremony of the 2023 Invictus Games, which took place in Germany.
Their first joint Christmas card came in 2018, half a year after their fairytale royal Windsor wedding in May.
Over the years the Sussexes have continued to send out a festive card, and often featured Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet front and centre.
In fact, the couple shared a photo of their daughter Lilibet for the first time on their 2021 card – but opted for couple shots for 2022 and 2023.
This follows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s polo series airing on Netflix.
Harry and Meghan are executive producers of the five-episode series which is shot primarily at the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida.
But journalist and author Phil Dampier said he wasn’t sure their new show would appeal to a massive audience.
He told The Sun: “Polo is a very niche sport. It’s very much a sport for very wealthy people.
“The average person can’t afford a polo mallet or stick let alone a horse or a horse box.”
