Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are headed in a new direction in their lives. What used to be the Sussex brand, where the Duke and Duchess always appeared together, is history. In recent months, the couple have undergone a ‘professional separation,’ with experts arguing that they will benefit from it in the future.
At the same time as Harry and Meghan’s professional careers are entering a new stage, one thing remains. The Sussexes continue not to show any pictures of their children to fans worldwide, as they have decided not to expose them to the world. Still, Archie and Lilibet appeared in the couple’s Christmas card last year, although their faces weren’t seen.
For Mother’s Day, Kate Middleton was accused of manipulating the photo of her and her children- and later admitted to it. With new techniques online and the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Harry and Meghan, or more specifically Archie and Lilibet, have also become the subject of furious fans online.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have tried their hands on many things since their 2020 exit from the Royal Family. In the last year, Meghan has focused on her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, while Harry has focused on the Invictus Games, which he founded.
With that said, they have begun appearing solo at several events, which made royal fans wonder whether their marriage was cracking. Prince Harry and Meghan’s situation has been called a “professional separation.” PR expert Ed Coram James claimed their brand has become “toxic” since their infamous Oprah Winfrey interview and that they have gotten themselves the “chance of creating an entirely separate brand.”
While Harry and Meghan might have gone through something of a separation when it comes to their professional careers, their getting a divorce will not be happening anytime soon. In early December, the Duke appeared at the The New York Times DealBook Summit, where he answered questions about his and his wife’s professional “separation.”
“Apparently, we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So, it’s just like, what? It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls.”
Harry continued reflecting on the enormous media attention he’s gotten since his early days. When he was only a child, the papers were full of stories about his mother, Princess Diana. Moreover, Harry could read about how his parents’ marriage was struggling, and even though not everything written was true, it was still there for him to read.
“I’ve had a lived experience since I was a kid,” Harry explained. “I’ve seen stories written about myself that aren’t exactly based on reality, I’ve seen stories about members of my family, friends, strangers, all sorts of people.”
At first, when they left royal life behind, many believed it was because HAry and Meghan wanted a more private life outside of the spotlight. However, in the four years that have gone by, it has been nothing but the spotlight for the Sussexes. However, although they have lived a very public life, the couple has made different decisions for their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Following their move across the Atlantic, Harry and Meghan are said to have decided to endeavor to give their children as normal a childhood as possible. According to a friend of the Sussexes, who chose to remain anonymous, there is one heartbreaking reason behind their decision not to expose their children to unnecessary publicity.
“I think every parent wants to share their kid with the world, but they just can’t,” a friend, referring to Harry’s struggle to get enhanced security in the UK, the friend told US Magazine.
“William’s kids, for example, have way more safety, even though they’re recognizable. And the same doesn’t apply to Meghan and Harry’s children. They know the world wants to see [them but] I would expect them to live smaller lives until that gets sorted, if it ever does.”
“He wants them to enjoy as normal a life as possible”
Moreover, a source told People Magazine: “Harry has been cautious about showcasing his children publicly, not out of a wish to obscure them but to shield their privacy and ensure their safety from potential risks.
“He wants them to enjoy as normal a life as possible, free from fears of kidnapping or harm. As a father and husband, Harry is resolute in his commitment to preventing history from repeating itself.”
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will most likely stay out of the spotlight in the following years. However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made an exception before Christmas when they sent fans worldwide their holiday wishes. The couple shared a message, “We wish you a very happy holiday season,” alongside six photos.
The montage featured five shots from Harry and Meghan’s trips to Nigeria and Colombia earlier this year, but the last one in the series surprised most. The Sussexes shared a picture of Prince Archie and Lilibet, who can be seen walking towards their parents – waiting with outstretched arms and big smiles – away from the camera. You can see the photos here.
Though it was a new picture of Archie and Lilibet, their faces remained out of sight. On social media, fans showed their excitement about seeing the young prince and princess for the first time in years.
“The kids are so big,” one user wrote, per the Daily Mail. A second added, “Look at the kids. They have grown so much,” while a third noticed they were “really redheads,” just like their father.
Royal fans claim new photo of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet is ‘fake’
“Okay, so of course I went right to the photo of the kids!! Red heads!! Just like my grandkids!! I love it!!” the comment read. A fourth gushed, “Omg. There [sic] babies have such red hair!!”
While fans were overjoyed by the new picture of Archie and Lilibet, it also appears to have launched a new royal photo conspiracy. As many might remember, Kate Middleton had to publicly apologize after the Mother’s Day picture of her and her children was revealed to have been manipulated, potentially dealing significant damage to the Royal Family and their credibility.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got dragged into another conspiracy theory just before Christmas. On social media, users began debunking details in the new picture of their children, claiming, amongst other things, that Lilibet’s hair looked strange.
The Mirror reported that one user bizarrely claimed a “digitally altered outline” around the Duchess, and another insisted that the dogs were “superimposed” after the picture was taken.
“The only one in focus is Meghan. Fake photo,” one person wrote on X, per the Mirror. A second said: “Archie doesn’t look like he’s grown in well over a year, and the daughter looks like she’s his height now.”
“Meghan looks a little painted”
Another crazy claim accused Harry and Meghan of using AI or “borrowed” children to act like Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. So, is the picture manipulated? The Daily Mail spoke to Photoshop expert James Middleton, who has no connection to Kate Middleton, who said it’s pretty much impossible to know if it’s been edited.
“It is going to be very hard to work out the authenticity’, adding that because it is one of six images on a small card it is ‘far too small’ to analyse in the way Kate Middleton’s Mother’s Day image could be,” Middleton said. “Meghan looks a little painted. It could be just a trick of the light, being so mottled and her white jumper. I think that the position of her feet seem okay and where they should be.”
The British news outlet also spoke to Photographer Glenn Gratton, the head of W8 Media picture agency. He stated that the picture looks “staged,” but that doesn’t mean it’s manipulated.
“Meghan is hugging the boy. Harry is hugging the girl. They have three dogs with them and they’re all together on the perfect drive on a sunny California day. It’s all too perfect,” Gratton told the Daily Mail.
“It is an image for the Instagram world we now live in. It is not AI, but I’ve no doubt it has been retouched like many other people retouch their own Christmas cards before they send it.”
AI-generated Christmas card of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet goes viral
Harry and Meghan have found themselves the subjects of many media frenzies over the past few years. The couple was criticized for going on a “royal tour” to Nigeria. At the same time, many questioned the fact that they traveled to Colombia but feared for their safety and security in opting not to travel to the UK.
Archie and Lilibet were featured several times in the 2022 Netflix series Harry & Meghan, but since then, pretty much no new pictures of the kids have been posted —except for the Christmas card mentioned above, although it didn’t show their faces. Not long ago, a new picture of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet suddenly appeared online. However, fans have been left outraged about it. Is it real?
As reported by PageSix, fans online were outraged when one fan posted a digital Christmas card on X that looked as if it was from Harry and Meghan. The card included a picture of five-year-old Archie and three-year-old Lilibet standing next to each other in a black-and-white photo.
“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,” the card read, signed “from Prince Archie & Princess Lilibet.”
Fans left furious: “Pathetic”
While some thought positively about the picture, others were furious. Several users on X stated that the picture was simply a sloppy and bad edit, claiming it was AI-generated.
“Crap photoshop…trouser seam isnt joined together,” one person commented on the post, per PageSix.
A second added, “Completely fake,” while a third stated, “Pathetic fakery.”
A fourth person explained, “Hidden hands and feet very strange Ai can’t do hands and feet properly yet Also b&w filter hides a whole lot of things Like the red hair The eye colour etc,” while a fifth wrote, “That is NOT Archie! That’s AI.”
As the picture has not been posted by any accounts connected to Prince Harry or Meghan Markle, we’re comfortable stating that the picture taking fire on social media is nothing but fake. Time will tell whether the Sussexes will share new images of their two youngsters anytime soon.
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