Royal holiday card drama sparks debate over authenticity
A holiday card shared at the beginning of the week by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has become a hot topic of discussion. There are even suspicions regarding the authenticity of their family photograph, with some internet users speculating that the couple hired actors to stand in for Archie and Lilibet.
An informal holiday tradition, upheld for many years by members of the British royal family, is sending well-wishes to their compatriots with elegantly designed cards. These cards feature new photographs of the royals in unique settings each year. Last year, there was considerable buzz over a graphic designer's oversight in editing photos, which led to accusations of removing the middle finger from the left hand of Kate and William's youngest son.
Prince Harry, despite distancing himself from his royal roots, still practices some familiar customs. One of them is publishing a holiday card. This year, he and Meghan Markle did not miss the opportunity to partake in this tradition. By doing so, they momentarily diverted attention from alleged marital issues, allowing keen observers of the red-haired aristocrat and his wife to focus on new images featuring their rarely seen children.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle accused of hiding their children's identities
The Sussexes wished everyone a joyful holiday season and prosperity in the coming year, embellishing their message with a collage of photos, mainly highlighting their achievements with the Archewell Foundation. Internet users were most intrigued by the photo placed at the top center, which shows their 5-year-old son, Archie, and 3-year-old daughter, Lilibet, running towards their parents, who wait with open arms. This family photo is further sweetened by the presence of their three pet dogs.
Meanwhile, a suspicious group of users on platform X began spreading baseless speculations that the photo underwent several edits. They pointed out, among other things, Meghan's elongated left arm and the awkward angle of her feet relative to her torso.
They also noticed the cropped rear paw of a black dog and remarked on the children being of identical height despite a two-year age difference, even insinuating that actors might have been used to replace them. Many believe the photos were published in low resolution intentionally, supposedly to hide any edits.
The editorial staff of the Daily Mail consulted professional photographers for their input. They unanimously agreed that the picture seems staged to give the impression of a "perfect family", but there are no signs of graphic intervention or the use of artificial intelligence.
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