• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Royal expert reveals one major mistake with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new Christmas card

Home> News> Royal Family

Updated 11:40 23 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 15:51 17 Dec 2024 GMT

Royal expert reveals one major mistake with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new Christmas card

Grant Harrold - King Charles' former butler - says the Sussexes have pulled a rogue move by releasing their festive card

Rhianna Benson

Rhianna Benson

They mightn't have meant it to, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2024 Christmas card has caused quite the stir online - especially amongst royal experts.

In fact, one commentator believes the Sussexes have made a grave mistake in formatting the card - which includes their five-year-old son Archie and three-year-old daughter Lilibet - in the way that they have, telling Tyla that they've once again broken royal protocol.

The Sussex's card has conjured up some controversy (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
The Sussex's card has conjured up some controversy (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

As we say, Harry and Meghan's latest release has divided fans of the former royal couple.

Advert

The card was sent to subscribers of the couple's joint charity, the Archewell Foundation, in the form of a collage, made up of images from their year together.

Several of the snaps were taken during their humanitarian endeavours overseas - including some from their August trip to Colombia - whilst one included the couple with their children.

Archie and Lilibet - who, for the image, were photographed in public for the first time in three years - could be seen from behind running up to their parents, whose arms were outstretched, awaiting a hug.

This particular snap has since come under fire, however, with some viewers accusing the couple of having generated it using a computer, and others wondering whether the young children really are Harry and Meghan's children.

Advert

It isn't just the ins and outs of the images that have stirred up controversy, however - but the fact it has been presented as a collage at all.

The couple's card has been presented as a collage (Archewell Foundation)
The couple's card has been presented as a collage (Archewell Foundation)

Someone who has chimed in on this debate is Grant Harrold, a royal expert who has accused the couple of massively breaking protocol in this way.

Speaking exclusively to Tyla on behalf of Slingo, Grant - who previously served in Buckingham Palace as the official butler to Harry's father, King Charles III - firstly pointed out the 'mistake' made by the Sussexes by comparing it to other royal couples.

Advert

"A traditional royal Christmas card we’ve seen from the King or the Princess of Wales is normally just a photograph," he began.

"Since I’ve been working with the Royal family, it’s always been quite simple with one photograph.

"Harry and Meghan’s card this year is very different. It’s more of a montage.

"[This] isn’t the correct thing to do. It’s not very Royal."

Advert

Harry's brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton, usually wait until the 25th to release their 'royal Christmas portraits', each one of which has also been a single image either with or of their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

This is a pattern that Harry and Meghan previously undertaken.

One snap included the couple's children (Archewell Foundation)
One snap included the couple's children (Archewell Foundation)

In 2020, they shared a photo alongside son Archie, with the youngster standing with his parents outside of a playhouse donned with festive wreaths, and a year later, one of the couple holding baby Lilibet in the air was released.

Advert

The following two years, the couple opted not to include their children in the Christmas card, with 2022's and 2023's simply consisting of a photo of Meghan and Harry.

Grant believes there's a reason that the Sussexes have chosen to break away from 'the norm' this year - not only by including their kids once again, but by arranging it as a montage.

"The impression I’m getting is that they want to show all the things they have achieved and done together this year," he explained.

"It’s quite unusual. It’s a nice idea - but it’s more of a promotion of themselves as a couple."

In his own view, however, Grant added that it'd have been 'more sensible' for the couple to have chosen one photograph so as not to have caused a stir, but in avoiding tradition, they're supposedly sending out an important message.

"From my point of view, they want to convey what they’ve done together in 2024," he went on.

William and Kate have always just opted for a single image (Kensington Palace)
William and Kate have always just opted for a single image (Kensington Palace)

"I’ve never seen anything like that before and I’ve seen Royal Christmas cards time and time again. They’ve definitely pushed their boundaries here for some reason.

"Their message is saying, ‘Look how busy we are,’ and look what we’ve done."

Again, comparing the Sussex's decision to that of the Wales', he added, however, that the message might have gotten slightly lost.

"The thing is, we know they’re busy, we know they have a lot on and have done a lot this year," Grant continued.

"Kate or the King would never go around saying, ‘Look how much I’m doing’ every year. They don’t need to. That’s my view.

"I now see Meghan and Harry as a celebrity Royal couple. It isn’t a bad thing - but that’s how I see them now, and probably how others do too. They’re Royal, but they’re more celebrity status."

Featured Image Credit: Archewell Foundation

Topics: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Royal Family, UK News

Rhianna Benson
Rhianna Benson

Rhianna is an Entertainment Journalist at LADbible Group, working across LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla. She has a Masters in News Journalism from the University of Salford and a Masters in Ancient History from the University of Edinburgh. She previously worked as a Celebrity Reporter for OK! and New Magazines, and as a TV Writer for Reach PLC.

X

@rhiannaBjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
4 hours ago
  • 3 hours ago

    'Weird' last text message Idaho college murders victim sent to twin sister just hours before being brutally killed

    Bryan Kohberger murdered four University of Idaho students in November 2022

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Prince George makes extremely rare public comment during Wimbledon appearance

    The young royal attended Wimbledon with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales and his sister, Princess Charlotte

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Donald Trump just defunded life-saving women’s health service to give billionaires a tax break

    The bill will 'effectively defund' a medical institution, with almost a third set to close their doors if the legislation goes ahead

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    US citizen dies from the plague less than 24 hours after showing symptoms

    The Arizona residents' identity is being kept quiet by officials 'out of respect for their family'

    News
  • Shoppers discover hack to get £100 worth of luxury skincare for free
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Christmas card has people making major point after spotting 'inaccuracies'
  • Tragic reason Prince Harry decided to hide kids' faces on Christmas card
  • Prince William and Kate Middleton release Christmas card days after Meghan and Harry’s sparks controversy