Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a new picture of their son Archie Harrison to mark his second birthday.
The photo shows Archie facing away from the camera holding a huge bunch of balloons, wearing a jumper, jeans and trainers. It is the second glimpse of Archie the public have seen this year, after a clip of him playing on the beach was shared during the Sussexes interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Earlier today Meghan and Harry thanked people for their well-wishes and support in a joint statement on their Archewell foundation website.
The couple also invited people to contribute $5 (£3.60) to cover the cost of a vaccine for someone in need in honour of Archie’s birthday.
The statement said: ‘While we may feel that normalcy is around the corner, we remind ourselves that in much of the world, and especially in developing countries, vaccine distribution has effectively yet to start.
‘We will not be able to truly recover until everyone, everywhere, has equal access to the vaccine.
‘And with that intention, we are inviting you to contribute whatever you can – if you have the means to do so – to bring vaccines to families in the world’s most vulnerable places.
‘For a donation of just 5 dollars, you can cover the cost of a dose for someone in need. And because we were able to secure matching support from a number of organizations, that $5 you give will automatically turn into 20 dollars – covering the cost of four doses.’
The Duke and Duchess ended their statement by adding: ‘We cannot think of a more resonant way to honour our son’s birthday.
‘If we all show up, with compassion for those we both know and don’t know, we can have a profound impact. Even a small contribution can have a ripple effect. Together, we can uplift, protect, and care for one another.’
Donations will go to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is coordinating Covax, a global programme to ensure the fair distribution of Covid jabs, along with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the World Health Organisation.
Archie was born on May 6 in 2019, and is Harry and Meghan’s first child. The couple announced they are expecting their second child, a girl, earlier this year.
Both the Queen and Prince Charles were among Archie’s well-wishers today as they marked his birthday with posts on social media.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Share this with