By Molly Claire Goddard
7:46am PST, Dec 26, 2025
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen beaming at their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in their 2025 holiday card. However, King Charles III’s former butler, Grant Harrold, found one aspect of the photo “strange.”
“They don’t want to show their children’s faces, and I completely understand their choice to keep their children’s faces out of the spotlight,” he told Daily Express. “However, I think it just comes across a bit odd in this picture. Again, they’re kind of sitting in the middle. Why send out a photo of your children if you don’t want them to be seen? For me, it doesn’t make sense.”
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Despite exiting The Firm in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still issue a Christmas greeting each year. “Meghan and Harry have kept the royal tradition of sending a Christmas card with a family photo on the front, which is, of course, a big American tradition as well,” Grant Harrold said. “They’ve cherry-picked the traditions they want to keep from royal life, keeping the ones that work for them.”
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Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s Christmas card, featuring their children’s faces, looks drastically different from those of their relatives.
“It’s a proud family photo. Their picture oozes confidence, while Meghan [Makle] and [Prince] Harry’s still looks a bit off in my opinion,” Grant Harrold gushed. “The only similarity between the photos is their choice of an outdoor setting. This is very normal for royal Christmas cards. However, I think it’s also symbolic as both families love being outside. Kate has spoken regularly about the benefits of spending time outdoors, and Meghan has also spoken of her love of being in her garden.”
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Grant Harrold also praised Prince William and Kate Middleton for featuring their inner circle in their holiday greeting. “To my understanding, Kate and William’s Christmas card list still includes friends they’ve held close for years and years,” he said. “I bet a lot of the names I knew from my time working with them are still on the list. However, Prince Harry has parted with so many of his friends, so I doubt he’ll be in touch with them this Christmas.”
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In October, Meghan Markle mistakenly shared a video showing Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s full faces during a family trip to the pumpkin patch. Luckily, the Duchess of Sussex quickly deleted the clip.
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Still, people claimed Meghan Markle was using her children to her benefit. “It’s all a bit too convenient,” the anonymous publicist told The Royalist. “The clip gets attention, the internet explodes, and suddenly Meghan’s brand rollout is on everyone’s radar.”
