The Christmas card photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their seven-month-old son Archie has been taken by Indian-origin actress Janina Gavankar, who has been friends with Meghan Markle for 15 years.

Janina, who is 39, a year younger than Meghan, attended the royal wedding in Windsor in May 2018 at St George’s chapel and was also — like Priyanka Chopra — included in the select group of 200 family and close friend invited to the evening reception.

In the days of digital and mobile phone cameras, royals don’t have to always depend on expensive professional photographers. Prince William’s wife, Kate, in particular, is quite an accomplished photographer.

Janina, who has appeared in film and TV in America, was born in Joliet, Illinois, on November 29, 1980 to “Peter” Ganesh Gavankar, “an engineer from Mumbai, who first travelled to the US to pursue a master’s degree, and Mohra Gavankar, from Pune, who also emigrated there from India”.

Janina “majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago”.

The Duke and Duchess are currently taking a six-week break in Canada, where Meghan was once based when she was a regular cast member on the US drama, Suits.

Meghan with Janina Sourced by the correspondent

The card first appeared on The Queen’s Commonwealth TrustTwitter account, with the caption: “Just sharing the sweetest Christmas Card from our President and Vice-President, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

Its authenticity was confirmed by a spokesman for the Sussexes.

Hello! magazine was lyrical in its appreciation: “Showing just how much their lives have changed in the past year, Prince Harry and Meghan have opted to focus on their baby son, Archie Harrison, who adorably takes centre stage in the black-and-white image.

“The seven-month-old gazes into the camera on his hands and knees in the sweet family photo, as his proud parents smile at him in the background, sat in front of their glistening Christmas tree. ‘Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours’, the message on the black-and-white image reads.

“Prince Harry and Meghan are understood to have sent the card via e-mail to friends and staff, while hard copies were sent to family members. The photo was captured by Meghan’s friend Janina Gavankar, and appears to capture an intimate family moment, likely taken during their time off in Canada.”

Janina’s TV credits since 2004 have included such roles as Alison Namazi in The Morning Show, Dr Sharma in Garfunkel and Oates, Kajol in Husbands, Marisol Rajagopal in Love is Dead, Shivakamini Somakandarkram in The League, Usha Patel in The Cleaner, and Sgt ‘Dusty’ Mehra in Stargate Atlantis.

According to one report, Janina and Meghan have been friends for almost two decades and are so close that the True Blood actress actually had a coveted seat in the chapel’s quire at the royal wedding, where Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, closest friends and members of the royal family were seated.