Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Christmas Cards Have Changed in Small but Telling Ways
The shift towards narrative-driven Christmas cards by the Sussexes began to take shape in 2022.
Over time, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Christmas cards have reflected their journey from newlyweds to a US-based couple focused on philanthropy, media ventures, and brand building. What began as intimate family snapshots has gradually transformed into curated narratives that reflect their shifting identity and ambitions beyond the royal folds. In fact, Prince Harry and Markle’s 2024 Christmas card offered the clearest illustration of how the Sussexes now choose to define themselves.
Christmas card 2024 sent by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Image Source: Archewell Foundation)Presented as a six-image collage, the greeting centered on an integral family moment. It showed Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet running toward their parents, arms outstretched, in their garden with their three pet dogs. Other images included the couple documenting their public work. It included their May 2024 visit to Nigeria, during which Harry toured a military hospital, and the couple also visited the Lightway Academy. There were photographs from August 2024, while promoting the Invictus Games in Colombia, featuring stops at a music festival, a school, and a cultural centre. Individual shots of both Harry and Markle engaged in charity work completed the montage. It highlighted their clear emphasis on advocacy and public impact.
The card's composition reflected a broader strategic focus on establishing the Sussexes' brand in the US. Philanthropy, media ventures, and carefully curated public appearances are central to their identity. This direction has taken on added significance as Markle continues to develop her lifestyle brand, As Ever, while promoting her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, whose latest Christmas edition reportedly underperformed on Netflix. Against that backdrop, attention is now turning to how the couple will present themselves next, with recent patterns suggesting that any upcoming Christmas card will likely emphasise their evolving identity and further promote the Sussex brand.
The Sussexes' shift towards narrative-driven Christmas cards began to take shape in 2022. Their Christmas greetings steered away from traditional family portraits and focused more on accolades and charitable work. The couple selected an image from the Ripple of Hope Award ceremony. It said, “From our family to yours, on behalf of our teams at The Archewell Foundation, Archewell Audio, and Archewell Productions, we wish you health, peace, and a very happy new year!” The emphasis on achievement and impact marked a turning point. It signaled that their forthcoming cards would increasingly reflect their professional and philanthropic priorities, more than offering an intimate glimpse into their family life.
Earlier Christmas cards by the Sussexes were notably more personal. In 2021, celebrity photographer Alexi Lubomirski, known for his work at their royal engagement and wedding, captured the moment that introduced Princess Lilibet to the world. The greetings contained the phrase “Happy Holidays,” an American expression that subtly reflected the family’s relocation to California and their evolving cultural identity. A year earlier, in 2020, Prince Archie was showcased in a painted storybook-style illustration, again symbolizing a new chapter across the Atlantic.
The most intimate cards from the Sussexes came at the very beginning. The 2019 greeting placed an eleven-month-old Archie center stage in a posed photograph taken by Meghan’s friend, actress Janina Gavankar, during their family’s time in Canada. That followed the couple’s 2018 card, featuring an image from their wedding celebrations, showing the newlyweds from behind, watching the fireworks. It set the tone for a duo determined to tell their story on their own terms, a narrative that has evolved from private family moments to a carefully crafted global brand.
