Prince Harry spotted with lookalike son Prince Archie on fun day out in now-deleted snap

A snap appeared on social media that seemingly showed Prince Harry posing with five-year-old Prince Archie on a day out at a surfing school in California - and fans all noticed the same thing about father and son

Prince Harry has been spotted enjoying a day out with Prince Archie in a rare social media snap - and fans all say the same thing.

The candid photo, which was posted on Instagram before being quickly deleted, showed Harry and his five-year-old son posing along with surfing professional Raimana Van Bastolaer at a surf school in California. The surfing legend is believed to be a friend of Harry's and previously shared an extraordinary video of the prince riding a wave last year.

And in a post rounding up his best photos of the year, Raimana posted the shot showing Archie perched on a jetski, posing with him and his dad Harry. However, as Harry and Meghan are known to fiercely protect their children's privacy, the snap has now been removed.

However, it was not before it had been viewed by fans on Instagram, who couldn't believe Archie's resemblance to his dad. One joked in the comments: "OMG!!! His twin was with him that day?" while another said: "Prince Archie is going to be so tall!" Another user was delighted with the "precious" images and expressed gratitude to Raimana "for keeping them safe."

It emerged back in October that Harry had been taking surf lessons at a 'surf ranch' in Leemore, California, run by surfing superstar Kelly Slater. The eye-popping video showed the Duke of Sussex being pulled along by a jet ski before being let go and leaping up onto his surfboard, where he gains his balance as an instructor shouts words of encouragement.

The wave that Harry can be seen riding at Slater's surf ranch is man-made and has been dubbed the best artificial wave in the world - and the only one to have accreditation to stage elite-level surfing competitions. It was unclear when the footage was taken.

Last month, Harry and Meghan gave a rare glimpse of Archie and their daughter Princess Lilibet on their Christmas card. In a sweet snap, the two youngsters can be seen running into their parents' arms. The couple have rarely exposed their children to the limelight and in the image, their faces are not shown as Lilibet, three, approaches her father while five-year-old Archie sprints to his mother.

The last time pictures of the children were seen publicly was during Harry and Meghan's Netflix series, which was released two years ago. And in the holiday cards over the last two years, the children have not featured in them.

And it seems that the reason for not featuring them and only showing their backs in the current card all comes down to Harry's fears. A source previously told PEOPLE: "Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats. He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm."

And due to this it seems Harry and Meghan also sent a separate card to their close friends and family, which may feature a different snap of the family - but it will remain private.