Meghan Markle’s Friend Who Took Her Family Christmas Photo Shuts Down Claims It Was Altered

Meghan Markle and Janina Gavankar
Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images and Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic

The sustainable e-card was sent to the charities and patronages of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Even a simple holiday card is causing controversy for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their sustainable Christmas e-card earlier this week featuring their 7-month-old son, Archie, front and center. 

The adorable black and white image taken by Meghan's longtime friend, Janina Gavankar, was put under a microscope by the Daily Mail, who questioned whether the image had been Photoshopped to feature Meghan's face in sharper focus. 

Shortly after the allegations came to light, Gavankar took to Twitter to share the original card and to shut down the rumors. 

"So proud to have taken the Christmas photo for one of my best friends and her family. Here’s the original that was sent out," Gavankar tweeted with the moving digital card. "...and to The Mail, I see your campaign against my friend continues. Nice photoshop of my non-photoshopped image. Now may we all get back to the spirit of Christmas and not the spirit of maliciousness."

The Sussexes and the Daily Mail have been at war this year as the royals have announced their plans to take legal action against Associated Newspapers, owners of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday for allegedly printing false rumors about Meghan and her family and for printing her letter to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. 

Look back at the year of highs and lows for Prince Harry and Meghan in the video below:

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