Prince Harry and Meghan’s e-card a glimpse into baby Archie’s first Christmas

London: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have given the first glimpse into their Canadian break with a Christmas e-card taken by a friend who has spoken of the importance of their privacy.

The 2019 Christmas card, which was sent to friends and colleagues on Monday, includes a picture of the Duke and Duchess with their seven-month-old son Archie, dressed in a £65 ($121) jumper from British brand Boden, crawling towards the camera.

The image includes the message "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", adding "from our family to yours".

It was released on Twitter by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust Twitter account, along with the caption: "Just sharing the sweetest Christmas Card from our President and Vice-President, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Very Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Published as a GIF on the social media account, meaning the festive tree decorations sparkled behind them, it is believed to be the first e-card sent by the Royal Family at Christmas, as the couple continue to be environmentally conscious.

The photo was reportedly taken by the Duchess' longtime friend Janina Gavankar, an American actress and musician, who attended the couple's Windsor Castle wedding in May 2018.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s Christmas card featuring Archie.Credit:Twitter/@SussexRoyal_

Gavankar, 39, currently appears in Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon which was shot in Los Angeles and Manhattan. She has also appeared in programs such as The L Word, Arrow and The League and has voiced characters in video games.

Gavankar, who has 158k followers on Instagram, told Town & Country about her decision to not publicly announce her invite to the couple's wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018.

She said: "In the end, this was a wedding, an actual wedding, between two people, who are real people that fell in love.

"And people who know them know that this is a private moment that was not allowed to be private.

"It wasn't a priority for me to have my publicist announce I was going. My priority will always be my friend. I'm not there for you, I'm there for her."

Royal experts were quick to praise the “fun” and personal card.

Royal biographer Penny Junor said she thought the card was “utterly delightful” and “refreshingly unusual” but that it was “surprising to have Archie dominating the picture, when Harry and Meghan seemed so determined to keep him out of the limelight.”

She added: “But it’s a beautiful picture and fun. They all look very happy.”

Editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and royal biographer, Ingrid Seward said she “loved” the card, which showed a “great sense of humour”.

“It just happens to be a gorgeous picture and very fun. It’s really cheerful,” she said.

But the Royal expert added: “I very much doubt if this means that they’re going to have a change of heart and let us into their lives. I think it’s just a fun thing for Christmas.”

The decision to not officially publish the card has also been shared by the Cambridges, whose family Christmas card has been widely shared on social media but not on their own channels.

It is a departure from last year, when Kensington Palace released pictures of the two families at the same time and posted them moments apart on their social media accounts.

Meanwhile the Daily Mail reported that the Yorks, who have had a turbulent year following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal's repercussion on the life of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, Christmas card features a picture of one of their Norfolk terriers with its head in a bush, revealing its derrière. The card reads: “Say Goodbye to 2019.”

This year, the Sussexes will spend their first Christmas together in Canada where they are currently on a six-week sabbatical.

Meghan, a former actress, lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and the couple were famously pictured together at the 2017 Invictus Games.

The Sussexes are likely to have spent the US Thanksgiving celebrations, which this year fell on November 28, with the duchess' mother Gloria Ragland.

It has already been announced they will not be joining the Queen and other members of the Royal Family at Sandringham on Christmas Day, as they are taking a break.

The Queen is said to be supportive of the Sussexes' plans and it follows the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's past decision to spend Christmas with Kate's parents and not with the Queen.

Telegraph, London

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