Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘happy holidays’ card features rare pictures of Archie and Lilibet

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have sent Christmas greetings with their 2024 ‘happy holidays’ card, including an appearance from their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled the card with six highlights from over the year in the multi-photograph greeting.

The photo including Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, shows their two children from behind as they run toward their parents.

Harry and Meghan are keen to keep their children out of the spotlight, so Archie and Lilibet haven't been pictured in public in recent years.

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Lilibet is pictured in a summer dress, seemingly confirming Harry's previous assertion that his daughter inherited Meghan's long hair. Archie, her older brother, was wearing a khaki jumper and jeans.

The festive card's additional images include photos from their August engagement to Colombia and their most recent trip to Nigeria.

The Sussexes included a message on the Christmas card, 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."

The card is intended for professional use by the couple and their team, with the Sussexes sending a separate card to their close family and friends which will remain private.

Archie and Lilibet, then aged two and seven months, previously featured on Meghan and Harry's Christmas card in 2021. They were last pictured when they were seen in the couple’s docuseries “Harry & Meghan”, which was released on Netflix in 2022.

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Last week, Harry told bereaved military children: “It’s OK to feel however you feel at Christmas.”

Wearing a Santa hat, he joined 280 young people for a virtual festive party hosted by the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers on Tuesday.

He took part in a Q&A session and also shared a special message, expressing support for bereaved children feeling mixed emotions at this time of year.

Harry added: “Some people will be celebrating and happy, other people feel reflective, some people will be sad, and maybe you’ll experience every single one of these emotions and that’s absolutely fine.

“Remember, you’ve got each other, you’ve got Scotty’s and you’ve got the people that love you.”

During an interview with Marie Claire in November, Meghan also opened up about celebrating the holidays with her children, saying the season feels even more special with them as they get older.

“I love the holidays,” Meghan shared. “Archie and Lilibet are now three and five, so every year it gets better.”

She explained how the experience of parenting during the Christmas season has evolved over the years, saying: “At first, I think as a mum with children, you’re just enjoying having them there, but they’re not understanding everything that’s happening yet. But now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.”