The clever trick Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used to protect Archie and Lilibet's privacy

A royal author has revealed how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle managed to protect their children’s identity over the festive season.

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have managed to protect their children’s identity in their 2021 Christmas card.
• An expert has revealed they showed ‘just enough’ of Archie and Lilibet after sharing the first photo of their children together.
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes after Kate Middleton gifted daughter Charlotte a video camera for Christmas.

Royal fans were over the moon when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared the first photo of Lilibet earlier this month.

The photo was shared as their Christmas card for 2021 and sees Harry, 37, sitting with Archie (opens in new tab), two, on his knee, next to Meghan, 37, who is holding baby Lilibet-Diana (opens in new tab) up in the air.

But now a royal expert has said the positioning of the Sussexes is very important to protecting their children’s privacy.

Elizabeth Holmes, who wrote HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, said on Instagram: "This is an absolutely GENIUS way to share their kiddo for the first time ever (for Lili)/a long time (for Archie) because we can see *just enough* of them.

"We know kiddo privacy is huge for H&M and by showing their faces in profile (rather than directly to the camera) helps maintain that as much as they possibly can."

While Archie has previously featured on the couple's holiday cards in 2019 and 2020, Harry and Meghan have previously spoken about wanting to keep their private life out of the spotlight.

The photo was taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski, who shared in on Instagram with the caption: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archie, and Lilibet. This is one of those rare and special projects, that one is fortunate enough to be a part of.”

The photo was taken during the summer at their home in California (opens in new tab) and sent digitally to family and friends.

It reportedly read: “This year, 2021, we welcomed our daughter, Lilibet, to the world.

“Archie made us a ‘Mama’ and a ‘Papa’ and Lili made us a family. As we look forward to 2022, we have made donations on your behalf to several organisations that honour and protect families – from those being relocated from Afghanistan to American families in need of paid parental leave.

“Wishing you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year, from our family to yours! As ever, Harry, Meghan, Archie & Lili.”

The photo was also created for charity Team Rubicon, who shared: “We’re grateful to Archewell Foundation and Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their support of our efforts to welcome Afghan families to the US.

"This generous donation will help the transition of families into new communities. http://TeamRubiconUSA.org “