In a controversial move nearly five years ago, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle announced that they'd all but severed their ties to the British Royal Family amid rumors of constant drama and infighting.

Yet, they apparently have no qualms about exploiting their royal titles when it may benefit them, such as in their annual Christmas card that recently was sent out by email, according to The U.S. Sun.

Unfortunately for them, however, reminding everyone that they are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may not matter much anymore or endear them to others who remain upset by the distractions of the ongoing family feud.

Exploiting their royal ties to remain relevant

The Sun reported that the annual card featured a message on a forest green background that read: "On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful New Year."

The card further featured a series of six photographs taken of them at various points during the past year, only one of which includes their two young children, Archie and Lilibet.

GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker told The Sun of the Christmas card, "The first thing I noticed were the words on the top, which was 'On behalf of the office of the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex [...]' -- which was very odd phrasing to me."

"It didn't seem very personable, it didn't seem like it was from Harry and Meghan themselves," he continued. "It sounds to me that maybe somebody in their office thought that it was a good idea to send a Christmas card."

He further suggested that despite allegedly stepping away from the Royal Family years ago, Harry and Meghan were convinced to still adhere to certain protocols recommended to them by the public relations team, and said, "They have said to them 'You need to keep some kind of royal link- because that is what gives you importance.' Because otherwise, what have you got? You've just got somebody doing a cookery show or having a lifestyle brand like everybody else has in Hollywood."

Comparing Christmas cards

The Daily Mail similarly reported that Harry and Meghan's Christmas card, which doesn't even mention Christmas, was particularly "impersonal" and "corporate" in comparison to the annual card sent out by Prince William and Princess Kate.

That card, which simply stated, "Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year," featured a single photo of William and Kate smiling in a group hug with their three children, Charlotte, George, and Louis, that appears to be a still from a video taken after Kate completed her chemotherapy to combat a cancer diagnosis.

Brand expert Nick Ede told the outlet, "Harry and Meghan have decided to be more corporate as they want to build their Archewell brand and so this is a way of promoting it, as well as saying thank you."

"Their business is Archewell, unlike Kate and William, whose business is the royal family," he continued. "[Harry and Meghan's] is not a very aesthetically pleasing card either. It's very corporate and not personal at all. You wouldn't keep it, it lacks the personal touch."

In contrast, Ede said, "William and Kate's is so much more personal and feels like a special moment captured and a card you would keep and feel privileged to have received."

"The Duke and Duchess, on the other hand, have sent a card that is much more professional and businesslike and from the Archewell brand rather than them personally, although they will probably be sending personal cards to those closest to them," he added. "This card feels like it's more like a branded card, highlighting themselves and who they are and the business they run. It's lovely to see the children and their dynamic but it doesn't feel as festive or as joyful as that of William and Kate."