It’s been a big year for America’s only Princess as she turns 5! Fans have seen more of Lilibet in the past year than ever before as experts suggest ‘family imagery’ is crucial for Meghan’s lifestyle brand

Meghan Markle may have gone the influencer PR route when she first launched As Ever spreads, but her latest social post promoting the collection signals a family-first approach.

The Duchess of Sussex, 44, revealed to fans that everyone in her family has a different favorite jam; This includes her two children, Archie, who is seven, and Lilibet, who turns five next week.

It marks the latest milestone, placing Meghan’s role as a mother at the center of everything As Ever does, which brand experts suggest is a “deliberate recalibration of commercial strategy”.

They noted that Lilibet has been appearing with increasing frequency on the Duchess’s social channels, meaning royal fans have seen more of the little princess than ever before in the past 12 months.

Starting with her fourth birthday post on June 4, 2024, Meghan shared more than 13 videos and photos of Lilibet; among them, giving her followers the clearest view of her face on Valentine’s Day.

‘Mother’s little helper’ was also recently spotted sitting on the floor of Meghan’s walk-in wardrobe, as the Duchess chose her outfits for the unveiling of the Screen Lost Memorial in Geneva in solidarity with those affected by online harm.

In March, Lilibet appeared in the promotional clip for As Ever’s Mother’s Day collection from earlier this year, where fans marveled at the four-year-old’s fiery red hair and pretty summer dress.

PR and branding experts told the Daily Mail that over the past year there has been ‘a noticeable change in Meghan’s approach to featuring her children on public social media’, adding that this ‘reinforces the idea that As Usual is an extension of her life as a mother and homemaker’.

Like his older brother Archie, Lilibet spent the first four years of her life out of the spotlight, growing up thousands of miles away from the Royal Family.

Such was the Sussexes’ commitment to privacy that they never followed up her first birthday portrait (depicting the angelic child basking in the sunshine during a picnic at Frogmore Cottage) with any other official photos showing her face.

When she turned four, Meghan gave fans their first real glimpse of Lilibet with a black-and-white photo that clearly showed Lili’s eyes and the upper half of her face.

Meghan also posted the now-famous video of herself and Prince Harry dancing in a hotel room to encourage Lilibet’s birth, with the Duchess twerking to Starrkeisha’s viral Baby Mama song.

Days later, she documented the family’s two-day Disneyland vacation on Instagram, including the moment Lilibet and Archie met Frozen’s Elsa, as well as a photo of the Duke strolling through the theme park with his daughter.

The social media blitz continued as Meghan paid tribute to her daughter on International Daughter’s Day, gave millions of followers a glimpse into her Halloween celebrations and released the Sussex family’s annual holiday card.

Harry, 41, is shown with his hands clasped protectively around Archie’s head. Father and son look at each other lovingly, both have a smile on their face.

Next to them on a bridge are Meghan and Lilibet. The Duchess leans down to rest her forehead against her daughter’s as she holds both hands.

The little princess has appeared on Meghan’s Instagram page with increasing frequency over the past year

Although Lilibet’s face was hidden in previous photos, fans finally saw what she looked like in Meghan’s Valentine’s Day post

In the dappled California sun, Lilibet’s face is covered with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair.

Although Lilibet’s face was hidden in previous photos, fans finally saw what she looked like in Meghan’s Valentine’s Day post.

In the Instagram photo, Harry was seen smiling while holding the princess in his arms, while Lilibet was seen holding a bunch of red balloons.

Her fans were extremely excited when people commented on her red hair being ‘like her father’ and ‘beautiful just like her father’.

Meanwhile, Archie’s face has not been seen in any photos since the Sussexes’ Christmas card in 2021.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have advocated for stronger protections for children online, including backing a social media ban on under-16s in Australia.

In April last year, the couple opened a memorial in New York for young people who lost their lives due to the harmful effects of social media and met families who believed that social media played a role in the death of their young people.

Nearly five months later, Harry warned while speaking at a gala in New York that the impact of social media on children was ‘one of the most pressing issues of our time’.

At the same event, Meghan said she and her husband often discuss how to protect their own children, seven-year-old Archie and four-year-old Lilibet, as they grow up.

Commenting on Lilibet’s increased frequency of appearances on Meghan’s Instagram, branding expert Megan Dooley told the Daily Mail there was a “notable shift” in the Duchess’ social media policy that could be linked to her brand.

The head of London-based TAL Agency said: ‘We have certainly seen a noticeable change in Meghan’s approach to featuring her children on public social media, especially when we compare this with her and Harry’s previous commitment to privacy.

‘But a closer look reveals that these appearances, rather than being casual and unplanned, are highly selective and deliberate.’

‘Mother’s little helper’ was also recently spotted sitting on the floor of Meghan’s walk-in wardrobe, as the Duchess chose her outfits for the unveiling of the Screen Lost Memorial in Geneva in solidarity with those affected by online harm.

When Meghan first unveiled her rebranded lifestyle company last February, she opted for a photo showing herself and Lilibet walking hand in hand, enjoying the California sun.

As Ever continues to promote its lifestyle brand with visuals that support its positioning as ‘warm and aspirational, rooted in home, motherhood and authenticity’, an expert told the Daily Mail.

Rather than interpreting this as a “reversal of their privacy-focused stance,” Megan suggested it was a “strategic recalibration of what they publish.”

She added: ‘Meghan is allowing more glimpses into their family life from behind the curtain – hand-picked, of course – to support the warm and aspirational positioning of her As Ever lifestyle brand, which is rooted in home, motherhood and authenticity.’

When Meghan first unveiled her rebranded lifestyle company (renamed As Ever from American Riviera Orchard) last February, she opted for a photo showing herself and Lilibet walking hand in hand while enjoying the California sun.

Megan added that she continues to promote her lifestyle brand with imagery that supports As Ever’s positioning as ‘warm and inspiring, rooted in home, motherhood and authenticity.’

‘From a brand perspective, motherhood is one of the strongest pillars of credibility in the Duchess’ lifestyle,’ he added.

That’s because As Ever’s target consumers are “more engaged with real family moments” rather than product features, according to content marketing expert Aidan van Vuuren.

‘As Ever operates in the domestic lifestyle space; jam, honey, household items. “These products will only make sense if Meghan is trustworthy as someone who actually lives this life,” he said.

Features of ‘Lilibet’ [and Archie] not emotional filler; tells the audience that this is a family story, not a celebrity vehicle. It’s this narrative consistency that makes the brand feel real.’

Megan agreed that audiences connect more strongly with online personalities and brand founders who feel emotionally accessible.

“By skillfully incorporating more family images, Meghan’s image will be more humanized and the distance between celebrity and customer will be softened,” he added.

The risk the Duchess faces is that social media content about her family feels ‘unpremeditated, effortless’.

“The risk, as with all founder-led lifestyle brands, is that audiences will become increasingly keen on spotting family content that primarily serves the brand,” Aidan added.

‘Meghan’s problem is making it feel effortless rather than designed.’