Meghan and Harry Give a First Glimpse of Daughter Lilibet as They Continue to Advocate for Parental Leave

It may be too soon to confirm, but it appears there is yet another redhead in the British royal family. On Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—also known as Harry and Meghan—kicked off the holiday weekend with a festive portrait of their young family of four, including a long-awaited look at their now six-month-old daughter, Lilibet.

“This year, 2021, we welcomed our daughter, Lilibet, to the world,” the card read, in part. “Archie made us a ‘Mama’ and a ‘Papa,’ and Lili made us a family.”

Granted, Lilibet, gleefully held aloft by an also grinning Meghan in the portrait, was likely closer to around three months old when the picture was reportedly taken late this summer (Lili, who was named in homage to Queen Elizabeth II’s nickname, was born on June 4). The card’s photographer is Alexi Lubormirski, who also captured the duke and duchess for their 2017 engagement announcement—and later, for their wedding day in 2018 (h/t Harper’s Bazaar).

Befitting their now more casual lifestyle as affluent Californians, a smiling Harry, Meghan and two-year-old Archie (who sports a head of very red curls) all wear stylishly lived-in jeans while Lili serves adorable infant chic in a ruffled white dress and bloomers.

Photographer Lubomirski also celebrated the holiday card’s debut, posting the portrait to Instagram with the caption:

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archie and Lilibet.

This is one of those rare and special projects, that one is fortunate enough to be a part of.

To be able to continue the story of this family whom I first photographed as an engaged couple, then on the day of their wedding, as a married couple and now seeing their love manifest into two beautiful children, has been a delightful honour.

Anyone who has seen my #AllLoveSeries, will know that one of the greatest joys I receive from photography, is when I am able to photograph “love” in some form or another.

To be trusted by your subjects enough, to open themselves up and have their connection documented and translated into an image, is one of the greatest gifts a photographer can have.

This day with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was one such joyous experience, and one that I feel extremely privileged to have been invited to capture. X

Like most things the duke and duchess do, the portrait wasn’t without an equally poignant message; the couple also used the instantly viral image to once again advocate for parental leave and several other causes close to their hearts.

“As we look forward to 2022, we have made donations on your behalf to several organizations that honor and protect families—from those being relocated from Afghanistan, to American families in need of paid parental leave,” the card noted, listing organizations Team Rubicon, Welcome.US, Human First Coalition, Humanity Crew and Paid Leave For All, PL+US and the Marshall Plan for Moms.

While the Sussexes may be celebrating the season of giving, a new report suggests that Meghan may have to give testimony in the suit against Prince Andrew by accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who allegedly met the prince through Jeffrey Epstein when she was still underaged. As told to the Daily Beast, Giuffre’s attorney David Boies believes Meghan may be an ideal witness for deposition, given both her former proximity to the embattled prince and her current status as a resident of the United States.

“One; she is in the U.S. so we have jurisdiction over her. Two; she is somebody who obviously, at least for a period of time, was a close associate of Prince Andrew and hence is in a position to perhaps have seen what he did, and perhaps if not to have seen what he did to have heard people talk about it. Because of her past association with him, she may very well have important knowledge, and will certainly have some knowledge.

“Three; she is somebody who we can count on to tell the truth. She checks all three boxes,” he added.

In case you’re wondering, yes, Prince Harry might also be called upon to testify about his uncle, though he is seemingly of less interest than Meghan might be, possibly due to his inherent allegiance to his estranged clan.

“He would also be available for deposition as he is in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts,” Boies conceded, noting that he and his team “haven’t made a decision yet” about who might be called to testify. “But my guess is that we will probably only have the opportunity to take 10 to 12 depositions so we have got to be careful about who we notice. We would not depose both Harry and Meghan, because we would not have the number of depositions to do that.”

Daily Beast contacted Meghan’s spokesperson for comment before publishing the report on Tuesday, but as of Thursday, neither of the Sussexes have issued a statement on the matter.