How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Holiday Card with Archie and Lilibet Aligns with Their Desire to Protect Them

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry included their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in their holiday card for the first time in years, but their careful portrayal of their kids connects with a larger parenting philosophy.

On Dec. 16, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a multi-photo card for the 2024 holiday season, and one of the six shots showed the couple with their son Archie, 5, and daughter Lilibet, 3. The snap captured the family of four outside with their three dogs Guy, Pula and Momma Mia, and Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet's faces weren't shown as they ran towards their parents.

"On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation," the card's message said in script on a deep green background. "We wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year."

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Holiday Card Features First New Photo of Archie and Lilibet in Years!

The collage featured five other pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan during their trips to Nigeria and Colombia this year, and the larger card marked the first time in three years that the couple featured a picture of their children in their holiday well-wishes. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex memorably used their 2021 holiday card to share the first photo of Princess Lilibet, who was born that June, in what doubled as the family of four's first holiday season together. The sweet snap revealed that Prince Archie inherited Prince Harry's red hair, which Princess Lilibet has, too!

Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, are raising their children outside of the spotlight in Montecito, and a friend told PEOPLE over the summer that the couple is cognizant about protecting their kids.

"Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats," the friend told PEOPLE. "He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm."

Related: Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Been 'Reluctant' to Show Archie and Lilibet Publicly (Exclusive)

"As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself," the friend said, referring to the death of Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.

The Duke of Sussex is also fighting for increased security for his family of four, a battle that he has followed to court in the U.K. Prince Harry lost a legal challenge to have automatic protection for himself and his family in the U.K. earlier this year, but has plans to appeal.

Prince Harry and Meghan aren't the only parents of their generation to refrain from showing their children's faces in online correspondence. The Duke of Sussex's cousin, Princess Eugenie, doesn't post pictures showing her young sons' faces. Meanwhile, while her sister, Princess Beatrice, doesn't maintain a public social media presence, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi similarly doesn't post photos showing the faces of their daughter Sienna, 3, or his 8-year-old son, Christopher Woolf.

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Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were briefly featured in some scenes of their parents' docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which debuted on Netflix in 2022. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also sometimes share snippets about how their kids are doing during their official outings, from Meghan describing her children as "very chatty and sweet" to Prince Harry reiterating that their life in California is what Princess Diana would have wanted for him.

"I very much enjoy living here and bringing my kids up here. It’s a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live," he said at The New York Times DealBook Summit in New York City on Dec. 4. "I feel as though it's the life that my mom wanted for me. To be able to do the things I'm able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn't be able to do in the U.K. — it's huge. That is a fantastic opportunity and I'm hugely grateful for that."

While speaking to PEOPLE during their trip to Nigeria in May, Meghan said that her family is thriving.

"We’re just doing great. And happy to be watching our family grow up and evolve. Of course, I'm happy. We're really happy," the Duchess of Sussex said.

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