Just when you thought Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Christmas card tradition couldn’t get any more peculiar, they’ve managed to outdo themselves. This year’s fiasco? An AI-generated “holiday card” that has left royal fans everywhere rolling their eyes so hard they might need medical attention.
As is now tradition in Montecito, California—home of the Sussexes and their so-called peaceful sanctuary—Harry and Meghan released their annual festive message. Alongside it came six carefully curated photos, offering a curated glimpse into their private lives. Among them, one image of Archie and Lilibet running toward their parents with their backs to the camera stirred whispers of Photoshop. But that was only the appetizer. The real spectacle came courtesy of their fervent supporters, the Sussex Squad.
Yes, the Sussex Squad—the ultra-dedicated fan base devoted to defending Harry and Meghan at all costs—thought it would be brilliant to create an AI-generated Christmas card featuring fabricated versions of Archie and Lilibet. And, well, the result was nothing short of a digital disaster.
At the center of this questionable creation was a black-and-white image of “Archie” and “Lilibet,” who looked like they’d been pulled straight out of a budget fantasy novel. Lilibet, clad in an outfit suspiciously similar to one from a past holiday card, appeared midair, seemingly ready to launch into orbit. Meanwhile, Archie sported cargo pants and a cable-knit sweater, posing in a stance so awkward it could give an Olympic gymnast pause.
But it didn’t stop there. Enter the family dogs, Mia and Guy, who also made an AI cameo. One dog lounged in the corner, looking like it had seen better days, while the other loomed over it with a leg so distorted it made Frankenstein’s monster look symmetrical. The dogs, much like the children, seemed to be designed by someone who’d barely passed middle school art class.
The card’s peculiarities didn’t go unnoticed. Observant critics quickly pointed out telltale signs of AI mishaps: warped tiles around Lilibet’s leg, Archie’s hair fading into nothingness, and the classic missing hands and feet. If you’re going to create AI children, maybe make sure they’re fully assembled?
Adding to the hilarity, the card appeared to have been whipped up using Canva Pro—because nothing screams royal elegance like a crash course in beginner graphic design. Naturally, fans weren’t buying it. Social media lit up with ridicule, with one commenter noting that Archie and Lilibet didn’t even resemble siblings, let alone real children. “They look exactly like what they are: AI creations,” another quipped.
As if the AI card wasn’t bizarre enough, conspiracy theorists seized the opportunity to pile on. Some speculated that Harry and Meghan had “borrowed” or “rented” children for the holidays, accusing the couple of hiding their real kids in an over-the-top privacy ploy. Others lamented the absence of the couple’s beloved rescue chickens, wondering if they’d been digitally erased or deemed too private for a cameo.
In the end, this AI Christmas card fiasco has become a perfect metaphor for Harry and Meghan’s PR strategy: micromanaged, overly staged, and, frankly, absurd. From fake kids to distorted dogs, this card encapsulates their ongoing effort to curate a narrative—no matter how far-fetched or ridiculous it may appear.
