Duke & Duchess of Sussex future engagements in the UK

[PrincessOfPeace]

How much Archie has grown? I can't make any of them out. It looks like an Instagram filter. Bizarre looking Christmas card.

[Curryong]

What a response to a family's Xmas card to one of their charities. Full of the spirit of Christmas, I see.

[PrincessOfPeace]

It looks like paint by numbers. I've never seen a 'royal' Christmas card like it

[Curryong]

God forbid that anyone in the BRF do anything out of the ordinary or unconventional at any time. Anyway, you don't like the Sussexex, you don't like their Christmas card. We get it. Perhaps you preferred the 2019 Yorks card showing a dog's behind. More your style!

[TLLK]

 I have to admit that I'd love to have seen a photo of Archie as it has been so many months since we saw him. I believe it was the video when Meghan was reading to him. Now he's walking and likely running so it would be fun to really have a clear view of his face. It's always fun to look for family resemblances, toothy grins and sparkling eyes in the little ones.  :xmas2:

[Curryong]

The original photo might well be released in the New Year.

[Macrobug67]

I like that card.  It may be not ? Royal? but it?s unique, imaginative and fun.

[Curryong]

Yes, perhaps because I have a creative streak myself, paint in oils and acrylics, sketch and sculpt a bit, I like it when people go out of the way to do something out of the ordinary with their birthday and Xmas cards.

[wannable]

It's so edited and photoshopped.

[Curryong]

On the contrary the Xmas card was made so that nothing much could be done to alter it. As people on Twitter who dislike the Sussexes had done various things online with the last cards, altering one of Harry's eyes so that it looked bloodshot, asserting that certain things and people in those photographs had been deliberately photoshopped, inserted, put out of focus etc, I believe that this year the Sussexes produced something that their haters couldnt fiddle with easily, and they've succeeded. 

[wannable]

I'm not interested in photoshopping, if that is the case of the Sussex's real feelings (if said by someone in their circle), they are very susceptible towards the public, social media, which I'd believe it, as they seem to have at least talked about it once.

[Curryong]

The female professional photographer who photographed the Sussexes in Canada for their 2019 Xmas card was extremely upset that the photo had been messed with by others online, and complained. It was reported at the time.

And really, as this Xmas card was liked  by the Sussexes themselves and by their charities to whom it was sent (along with donations from the couple, it really doesn't matter who likes it or doesn't really (even though many on Twitter etc have liked it.

A take on the card via the Fail, who consulted an illustrator in the hopes no doubt that she would heavily criticise it, while they inferred in the same article that Harry and Meghan had bought the Wendy house seen  in the card costing thousands, for their son, in order to have a copy of the Queen's Wendy house at Windsor. It does not resemble the Windsor house in the slightest, but then that's that rag for you!



'While no creator has been credited, a graphic designer has told FEMAIL that the image must have been made by a 'skilled illustrator'.

Anna D'Assaro said: 'Having had a good look at the card and being an illustrator myself, I can say that it looks like this has been done manually from a skilled illustrator or an artist.

'Taking a closer look at the image, you can notice how the shadow and highlights are all tiny little strokes which long ago would have been done by a paint brush.

'Nowadays this can be done with Adobe Photoshop brushes or an iPad Pro and pen and you still wouldn?t notice a difference.

'It is difficult for me to say if this has actually been painted on canvas with the use of acrylics and then digitized later on, or if this was entirely done digitally with the help of a pen and pad.

'The dogs and scenario as well could have been shot individually even to then be edited all together to accomplish the perfect snap.'

Illustrator Anna added that the image could've cost the couple between $500 to $2.000.'

[Amabel2]

Here's an idea.  Instead of sending pics of themselves why not send a conventional Christmas card.  Then they wouldn't have to worry about people messing round with the image...

[TLLK]

@Amabel2 - I believe that your idea  could be the ideal solution for the Sussexes if they were concerned about anyone altering the image as we know it did happen in 2019. An handcrafted  card with either a photograph, ink print, watercolor etc..  specifically created by someone associated with one of  their charities could be the public card.  Meghan currently has four UK patronages and Harry has close to twenty of them so someone involved with one of the groups could be the one to make it. Then closest and trusted family and friends could be the ones to receive the family's personal card.

[Curryong]

I don't think the couple wants to send 'conventional' cards. They like individual and unusual ones.

As far as the royal family photo Xmas cards are concerned I think they probably started when the Wales boys were little and everybody loved seeing the family together. I might be wrong, but I believe before that they sent snowy winter scenes, or similar. I think Charles sent a reproduction of one of his watercolours painted abroad one year, before his marriage.

I used to collect Victorian Xmas cards. There were some beauties among them. Quite a lot of Beatrix Potter-style mice and cats as illustrations, but also dead insects and birds.

[TLLK]

I don't think the couple wants to send 'conventional' cards. They like individual and unusual ones.

That is true and therefore if someone associated with one of their charities designs and creates a one of a kind card for the couple  it could be reproduced for their public card. Actually it could be a great annual fundraising opportunity if the card was then available for purchase.

Also I believe it was stop the problem of any photoshopping of their images. Last year's card was reportedly photoshopped by one of their fans who inadvertently created a problem by wanting to enhance the original.

[Curryong]

That is an idea, TLLK. Perhaps you could write to one of their charities with the suggestion! However, I might be cynical but I think that if the British tabloids offered enough money for one of the private photo Xmas cards there would inevitably be a leak. And if there was no photo of the Sussex family for public consumption there would almost certainly be screams from their detractors that the couple were 'hiding' Archie, because they don't really have him or there is something wrong with him.

[Amabel2]

That's been said anyway, that Archie isn't really their son or htat he doesn't exist or whatever..  Similar things were said about Kate and George... that she didn't give birth to him etc.

[wannable]

Two different couples, clearly one couple feel very hurt (and they do read)  the tabloid comments (Harry) and SM trolls (Meghan)

It is interesting the editing tools today, from a photograph taken by Doria (according to Omid, who also said this past weekend that this weeks a Christmas picture, full direct contact, believe him 100 when speaking in behalf of them), to different kinds of app filters, the picture just gives a faint silhouette and that's it.

[Curryong]

That's been said anyway, that Archie isn't really their son or htat he doesn't exist or whatever..  Similar things were said about Kate and George... that she didn't give birth to him etc.

You often say that 'people said this and that about Kate and whatever'. The problem with that is the scale of things only a few years ago as compared with the way the Internet operates today. The stuff about Kate and George reached a peak online in 2013. It only continued sparsely from 2014 onwards, with the exception of a couple of tarot sites and one (now defunct) Royal forum. It didn't continue, day and night sometimes, on Twitter and Tumblr for over 18 months and will probably go on for years.

Harry and Meghan love Archie and are proud of him. Surely to God this couple are allowed to portray their son on their Xmas card with them once a year if they wish, without a full scale war breaking out on the internet about their choice of Christmas card!

This couple owe the British taxpayer nothing. They owe Britain nothing. They now live in a foreign country and get nothing financially from the Queen or Charles.

If they chose to send an Xmas card to their charities with demons and Satan portrayed on it (which they wouldn't ever do of course) that would be entirely their decision and nothing whatsoever to do with anyone else.

And they don't need to send Xmas cards out they don't care for with pictures of Santa or wintry scenes or The Three Wise Men or whatever anodyne image pleases others if they don't wish to, and they obviously don't. Their choice ENTIRELY. Or should be.

[TLLK]

That is an idea, TLLK. Perhaps you could write to one of their charities with the suggestion! However, I might be cynical but I think that if the British tabloids offered enough money for one of the private photo Xmas cards there would inevitably be a leak. And if there was no photo of the Sussex family for public consumption there would almost certainly be screams from their detractors that the couple were 'hiding' Archie, because they don't really have him or there is something wrong with him.

I would love it if the couple opted to use my idea, but I have a feeling that a suggestion from me won't be taken seriously. :( Now it is possible that someone from Sunshine Sachs is reading through this forum and a few others like it and will see my  idea. :D Then they'll pitch it to Harry and Meghan who will decide that they want to use it in 2021. :thumbsup: Unfortunately I won't be credited for  it. :no: BOO!!!

[Curryong]

Harry and Meghan have made a donation to the Foundation set up to honour the memory of Harry's friend Henry van Straubenzee. Hen, as he was known, was about to go to Uganda to work in a school there in his gap year when he was killed in a freak car accident in England before he could set out. He was 18.

Harry used to attend the Carol Service held each December (though not this year due to Covid) which was an annual fundraiser and he and William are Patrons of the Foundation. Harry and Hen were close, being of the same age.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...raubenzee.html

[Curryong]

Harry and Meghan have made an Xmas donation to the NZ charitable endeavour Make-Give-Live for 100 bobble hats, in Archie's name. They did the same sort of thing last year and the organisation was inundated with orders and donations after Archie appeared in a photo in Canada in his father's arms wearing one of the hats.

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebr...tmas-donation/

[PrincessOfPeace]

Harry and Meghans first podcast with an Archie cameo

https://twitter.com/Spotify/status/1343939515241525249?s=20

[Macrobug67]

A snippet of the podcast.  Archie saying Happy New Year. And a giggle to melt your heart  :vday4:

https://twitter.com/dianaofhearts/status/1343941824545763328