Eagle-eyed fans spotted a never-before-seen photograph of Harry and Meghan with their two children after it was inadvertently revealed by a friend of the couple

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are notoriously strict when it comes to sharing photographs of their children. But they faced a setback this week when an image of Archie and Lilibet appeared online.

A Sussex family snapshot appeared in the background of an Architectural Digest photograph, showing the foursome smiling while lying down in the grass. According to People, the black-and white image was included inside the private Christmas card that the couple sent to their close friends and family in 2023.

And it was inadvertently revealed this week when eagle-eyed fans spotted it on a side table – nearly two months after Architectural Digest originally shared a look inside Gloria Steinem’s New York City home.

It’s unsurprising that Gloria had been sent the candid family image; the 90-year-old activist became friends with Meghan shortly after the Sussexes moved to California in 2020 and the pair have been close ever since.

Harry and Meghan have gone to great lengths to retain privacy for Archie and Lilibet; they have appeared in photos shared with the public before, including the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, but their faces are largely hidden.

“Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats. He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm,” a friend told PEOPLE last summer.

“As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself,” the friend added, referring to Harry’s mother, Princess Diana.

The Sussex children lead a markedly different life from their Wales cousins, growing up away from public view on America’s West Coast. They have little to do with the royal family given Harry and Meghan’s fall-out with the Firm.

Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, have seemingly not visited their father’s home country since 2022, when the Sussexes returned to celebrate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It’s thought to be the only time King Charles has ever met his youngest granddaughter, Lilibet, in person.

Harry has cited fears for his family’s security in the UK, having lost his tax-payer-funded security when he quit The Firm. Royal expert Jennie Bond previously told The Mirror: “It must remain a great sadness to the King to be so distant from his two US-based grandchildren – he hardly knows them and there’s no prospect of that changing any time soon. The early years in a child’s life are so magical – and once they’re gone, they’re gone. I hope the King doesn’t dwell on his loss too much, but it must hurt. Maybe, behind the scenes, Harry and Meghan have sent pictures to the King… we can but hope!”