Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped a festive surprise on Thursday when they shared their family’s Christmas card with a photo of their first daughter, Lilibet Diana, and their 2-year-old son, Archie. This marks the first time that the couple have publicly shared photos of baby Lilibet, who was born in June this year.

The Christmas card bears a photograph of the couple and their two children, which was snapped by photographer Alexi Lubomirski at the couple’s home in Santa Barbara, California, in summer. The photograph shows the couple in casual attires, sporting jeans, with Archie seated on Harry’s lap, and Meghan holding a grinning Lilibet up.

The photograph comes as a surprise as the Sussexes are known for being a private couple and have carefully protected their two children from media scrutiny. When their son Archie was born in 2019, the couple waited days before granting media permission to take his photos. Later, in March 2020, they sued a paparazzi agency for taking drone footage of Archie in their first California home, eventually winning a settlement and an apology from the agency. Further, Meghan Markle, in her interview with Oprah Winfrey, had also expressed her aversion towards being in the public eye. 

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The couple’s annual Christmas card also highlighted their philanthropic activities over the year, saying, “As we look forward to 2022, we have made donations on your behalf to several organizations that honor and protect families — from those being relocated from Afghanistan, to American families in need of paid parental leave.” The card also lists the organisations to which the couple’s charitable foundation, the Archewell Foundation, donated: Team Rubicon; Welcome.US; Human First Coalition; Humanity Crew; Paid Leave For All; PL+US; and Marshall Plan for Moms.

“Wishing you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year, from our family to yours! As ever, Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lili,” wrote the Sussexes, signing off the card.