We're sure you've spotted it by now, but in case not: yesterday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a very special Christmas card photo, revealing their daughter Lilibet to the world for the first time. The family snap also featured a very grown up-looking Archie, who is clearly twinning with his dad on the red hair front. So sweet!
Whilst some of the details in the card are pretty darn obvious - the extreme joy in their faces! The co-ordinated denim outfits, showing how in sync they are as a family! - another is a little more subtle, but just as moving nonetheless.
It seems that through his choice of jewellery, Prince Harry also paid a loving tribute to his mother, Princess Diana, who sadly passed away 24 years ago in a tragic accident. On his wrist, the Duke of Sussex can be seen wearing a beaded bracelet that he picked up in Africa on a trip he took shortly after the deeply sad passing of his mother.
In a previous interview, Harry recalled the trip and said, "I first came [to Africa] in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags — we were going to Africa to get away from it all."
During her lifetime, Princess Diana also visited Africa many times and famously took a walk through an area in Huambo that was being cleared of explosives. It's a moment that three years ago, Harry recreated when he visited the same exact same spot and had an eerily similar photograph taken.
The Sussexes have also visited many different parts of Africa together, with Harry even whisking Meghan off to Botswana during the early days of their relationship, and later they toured the continent (made up of 54 sovereign states) with their son, Archie, whilst on a trip documented for television.
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Prince Charles and Diana's youngest son was also seen wearing the important piece of jewellery during his gap year in 2004. As part of his travelling, Harry helped to repair a fence at the Mants'ase Children's Home in Lesotho, in southern Africa:
When sharing their Christmas card with the world, as part of their work with Team Rubicon (an organisation which mobilises veterans to serve communities and to help people prepare, respond, and recover from crises), the Sussexes also offered up an insight into how Lilibet has changed them.
"This year, 2021, we welcomed our daughter Lilibet, to the world," they wrote in a special message alongside the shot. "Archie made us a 'mama' and a 'papa', and Lili made us a family. As we look forward to 2022, we have made donations on your behalf to several organisations that honour and protect families – from those being relocated from Afghanistan, to American families in need of paid parental leave."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
