The heartbreaking detail in the Royal Family's birthday tributes to Archie you might have missed

The Royal Family shared special photo tributes to Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on his 2nd birthday, but there is a truly heartbreaking detail in all of them. 

• The Royal Family have taken to social media to share adorable birthday tributes to Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (opens in new tab), who's turned 2 years old.
• This is his second birthday spent in California since Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back (opens in new tab) as senior members of the Royal Family and moved to the US last year.
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes as Princess Anne’s bizarre breakfast habit is revealed by a royal chef – could you eat it this way? (opens in new tab)

The Royal Family have paid tribute to Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on his 2nd birthday, but there is one key detail in each of the photos that you might have missed. Little Archie has spent both his birthdays in California since his parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle settled in their new LA home (opens in new tab) with him after stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family last year. 

Now several of Archie's royal relatives in the UK have shared meaningful photos as he turns 2. The Queen was amongst the first to wish her great-grandson (opens in new tab) a happy birthday on Instagram, posting a throwback photo of Archie when he was just 2 days old. 

In it proud parents Harry and Meghan are pictured at Windsor Castle with Archie held carefully in his father’s arms. 

‘Wishing Archie Mountbatten-Windsor a very happy 2nd birthday today. 🎈’ the caption read. 

Whilst this is undeniably a very sweet photo, there is one obvious detail that some were quick to point out - and it’s devastating. 

‘It’s sad no beautiful updated pics of him’ one wrote, whilst another commented, ‘they don't have any photos of him except this one. this is sad’.

‘Its sad that The Royal Family doesnt have an updated photo of Archie. The heartbreak... 😢’ a fellow royal fan declared. 

It's thought Archie has not seen the Queen and wider Royal Family in person for over a year. This means they have not been there to capture candid shots of him growing up and nor have they been pictured with him since these early days. 

Similar observations have also been made on the birthday tributes posted by his grandfather Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, and Prince William and Kate Middleton. 

Charles and Camilla’s post featured Charles looking adoringly at baby Archie in his christening gown as he’s held by Harry. Whilst William and Kate also opted for a christening shot - this time the official snap of the immediate family inside the palace on that special day. 

As with the Queen’s post, people noticed the age of the photos, with one commenting on Charles’ tribute: ‘Shame they'll have to use this photo every year’. 

With little Archie growing up an ocean away, the Queen and Royal Family likely miss him greatly, sharing such treasured photos on this special day.