Princess Lilibet appeared to be taking inspiration from her older cousin Princess Charlotte in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new holiday card.
The season’s greetings from the Archewell Foundation featured a new photograph of the couple’s rarely-seen children Prince Archie, five, and Lilibet.
It made for the first time the public have seen Lilibet in two years, since a photo was last released for her first birthday in 2022.
Now aged three, a very grown-up Lilibet was seen with her mother’s long flowing hair, and also sported a very familiar dress.
Even though the photo captured the moment from a distance, you could still make out Lilibet happily running towards her father Prince Harry, dressed in an adorable spotted dress in a baby blue color, paired with white socks.
This particular style is very popular with Princess Charlotte, aged nine, who has frequently been spotted wearing a similar patterned dress with a comparable design. It remains uncertain whether the cousins have ever had the chance to meet in person.
Back in 2018, Charlotte was observed donning a light-blue dress featuring a floral pattern and a white collar when she went to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington to see her newborn baby brother, Prince Louis.
In more recent years, the middle Wales child has given a sophisticated twist to her beloved look, adding dark blue tights and Mary Janes when attending the Easter Sunday service with her mother Kate in 2023 – paired with a £65 blue patterned dress from Rachel Riley.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released their new holidays card, featuring a rare glimpse of their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
It’s a style that is beloved by Princess Charlotte, nine, who has often been seen in a very similar take on the patterned dress, with a similar cut. Pictured in 2018
As she attended Wimbledon in summer 2023, Charlotte once again made known her taste for her favourite design, choosing a £169 lightly floral dress speckled with blue flowers from Spanish brand Friki.
Royal fans were quick make comparisons, with one writing: ‘Why is Lilibet dressed like Princess Charlotte!’
Another noted: ‘It’s Princess Charlotte right down to the socks.’
And Lili wasn’t the only one who appeared to be taking inspiration from the Waleses, despite the long distance between Montecito in California and Windsor in the UK.
Harry and Meghan themselves seemed to reflect William and Kate’s own body language with their children, crouching down to hug them and demonstrating their close bond.
The season’s greetings from Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation showcased the highlights of the Sussexes’ year, including pictures from their four-day visit to Colombia in August.
The card was shared on X/Twitter by the Sussexes’ long-time friend and royal reporter Omid Scobie.
Scobie, who wrote the couple’s biography Finding Freedom, captioned his post: ‘The Sussexes share highlights of their year on the 2024 Archewell holiday card.’
In more recent years, the middle Wales child has given a sophisticated twist to her beloved look, adding dark blue tights and Mary Janes when attending the Easter Sunday service with her mother Kate in 2023
It wasn’t just Lilibet who prompted comparisons – as Harry and Meghan’s body language was remarkably similar to William and Kate with their children. Pictured at a children’s party for military families in 2016
Kate was also pictured crouching down to a much younger Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Victoria Airport in 2016
As she attended Wimbledon in summer 2023, Charlotte once again made known her taste for her favourite design, choosing a lightly floral dress speckled with blue flowers
Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy at Beaufort Park in 2018
Princess Charlotte of Wales attends the Easter Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2023
Kate and Charlotte were matching in shades of blue, with Charlotte adding a dainty bow to her hair
The season’s greetings from Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation showcased the highlights of the Sussexes’ year, including pictures from their four-day visit to Colombia in August.
The last official photograph of Princess Lilibet was released on the occasion of her first birthday in June, 2022, when the Sussexes gave the world a rare glimpse of their daughter
A photo of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, during a visit to a kindergarten school in Colombia
One of the pictures featured on the festive card showed Princess Lilibet running into Prince Harry’s waiting arms, while Meghan, 42, held her arms open for a hug from Prince Archie.
The couple’s three dogs were also a part of the family portrait that was released on Monday.
Reacting to the image, royal fans said they couldn’t believe how old Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, had become – with Harry and Meghan’s children rarely being spotted in public.
One comment read: ‘The kids are so big.’
Another person added: ‘Look at the kids. They have grown so much.’
A third X user noted the children’s bright red hair, like their father, the Duke of Sussex.
The card also included a personal message from the Sussexes, which read: ‘On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundations.
‘We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and a joyful new year.’
Prince Harry plants a kiss on Meghan’s forehead in a photo taken during their four-day visit to Colombia in August
The Sussexes during their visit to Nigeria in May this year
Prince Harry and Meghan recently released their new Netflix docuseries about polo that has widely been panned by critics
Prince Harry during a visit to the the wards of the Nigerian military hospital Kaduna
Several people were delighted to see a ‘glimpse of the kiddos’ on the new card, with one person adding: ‘So cute to see a picture of their children.
‘They are really redheads!’
Another comment read: ‘Okay so of course I went right to the photo of the kids!! Red heads!! Just like my grandkids!! I love it!!’
A third user exclaimed: ‘Omg. There [sic] babies have such red hair!!’
While their new ‘holiday’ card celebrates some of the couple’s milestone moments, Harry and Meghan’s latest project – a Netflix docuseries about posh polo – has received scathing reviews from critics.
The five-part docuseries, which was released on December 10, centres around the build-up to the polo World Cup in Florida and mainly focuses on players such as Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Timmy Dutta, and Nacho Figueras.
The documentary, part of Harry and Meghans £80m-deal with Netflix, promised that it would showcase the ‘true depth and spirit of the sport’ as well as the ‘intensity of its high-stakes moments’.
Following its release, however, any hope that Polo would join the ranks of great sport documentaries such as Disney +’s Welcome to Wrexham and 2020’s The Last Dance, were quickly dashed – with critics largely panning the ‘boring’ series.
Receiving two stars or less out of five across the board, the programme has been labelled ‘a tedious inside-look at posh polo’ and a ‘mostly boring look at a sport that very few people outside of elite circles have any particular interest in’.
A still from Harry and Meghan’s new Netflix docuseries Polo that was released on December 10
Harry and Meghan, who served as executive producers of the series, make a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the documentary, with fans having to wait until episode five to catch a glimpse of the couple.
The Telegraph’s Ed Power noted there was ‘not enough of the Sussexes to make this anything other than a dull indulgence about a rich person’s pursuit’.
Earlier this month, it was revealed Prince Harry and Meghan will not be joining the royal family for Christmas this year as they have reportedly not been invited to the festivities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t received an invitation to the royals’ Christmas at Sandringham, it has been reported.
They are expected to spend the festive holidays in America instead with their children Archie and Lilibet.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to Montecito, California, after they stepped down as senior members of The Firm in January 2020.
Meghan previously revealed how the Sussexes celebrate the holidays in America in an interview with Marie Claire, noting the festivities are always ‘low-key’.
She said: ‘We’re always making sure we have something to do,’ the Duchess told the magazine. ‘Like any other family, you spend time having a great meal and then what do you do? Play games, all the same stuff, someone brings a guitar – fun.’
The former Suits actress also stressed the importance of making ‘room at your table for your friends who don’t have family’ such as feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who once joined the Sussexes’ Thanksgiving party.
Meghan, who married Harry in 2018, added it is important to the couple that Archie and Lilibet experience the ‘magic’ of festive traditions such as putting out ‘carrots for the reindeer’ at Christmas.
