It’s that time of year again. Christmas music is playing in all of the stores, holiday movies are taking over streamers and channels alike, and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have dropped their annual holiday card.
This year, the card, obtained by People magazine, CNN, ABC News, and others, includes six photos of the Duke and Duchess throughout the year, including a picture featuring their two children for the first time in years.
“On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions, and Archewell Foundation,” a message in white script across the dark green card reads, “We wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year.”
In addition to the shot of the family of four, the card also includes pictures from the couple’s trips to Nigeria and Columbia earlier this year and one of the two embracing during an event.
While the card includes a shot of the couple’s two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, for the first time since at least 2022, the image doesn’t include their faces. Instead, the picture was taken from behind as the children ran into their parents’ arms, with the family’s three dogs also in the mix.
A photo obscuring their children is hardly surprising, given how seriously the Duke and Duchess of Sussex take protecting their children from the public.
Over the summer, a family friend told People magazine that Harry, in particular, intends to protect the Sussex children to the fullest extent he can.
“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. He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm,” the friend told the publication.
Referencing the death of Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, the friend added, “As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.”
The couple’s efforts don’t just stop at shielding their young children from the public; Harry is gearing up to appeal a case he lost recently to secure police protection for himself and his family when they are in the U.K.
Even though both Meghan and her husband keep their family life private, the Duchess of Sussex has shared some of what her family has been up to since the holiday season began.
“At first, I think as a mom with children, you’re just enjoying having them there, but they’re not understanding everything that’s happening yet,” she said during a recent event. “But now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.”
