Family portraits have long occupied a special place in Christmas traditions, acting as visual shorthand for togetherness, continuity, and shared identity. In royal households, these images carry even greater symbolic weight. They are not merely family keepsakes slipped into envelopes for friends and relatives, but carefully considered public messages that balance intimacy with duty. Each year, royal Christmas cards offer a curated glimpse into family life—intended to feel warm and personal while also reinforcing stability, relevance, and connection with the public. Over time, the images have evolved alongside changing social expectations, shifting from formal studio portraits to more relaxed, natural scenes that mirror how families everywhere increasingly document their lives. Yet no matter how informal they appear, royal photographs are rarely accidental. They exist at the intersection of tradition and modernity, and every detail—from clothing to location to facial expression—invites interpretation. When the Prince and Princess of Wales unveiled their 2025 Christmas card, it was inevitable that the image would be closely examined. What few expected was that the most debated element would not be who appeared in the photograph, but when it seemed to have been taken and whether it truly reflected the spirit of Christmas as people imagined it should.
The image itself, shared via Kensington Palace’s official social media channels, depicts Prince William and Princess Catherine seated in a grassy field in Norfolk, surrounded by flowers and soft greenery. The couple sits close together, relaxed rather than posed, with their three children gathered affectionately around them. Prince George, now twelve, sits beside his mother as Catherine wraps an arm around him with an easy, protective familiarity. Princess Charlotte, ten, rests her head on her father’s shoulder, holding his arm in a gesture that feels spontaneous and unguarded. Seven-year-old Prince Louis leans comfortably against William’s chest, his posture conveying the kind of casual trust that comes from feeling entirely safe. The family’s clothing is light and understated, coordinated without being overly formal, reinforcing the sense of natural closeness. Beneath the photograph, the message is simple and direct: “Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas.” For many viewers, the image was quietly touching, a portrait of a family clearly at ease with one another. It suggested warmth, unity, and affection without the trappings of ceremony. But for others, something felt missing. The absence of winter scenery, festive colors, or traditional holiday elements prompted a wave of commentary that quickly spread across platforms.
Social media reactions ranged from gentle curiosity to pointed criticism. “Where is the Christmas?” one user asked bluntly, capturing the sentiment of many who expected a more seasonally themed image. Another wrote, “Very lovely – but not very seasonal is it? The children change so much, so fast, it would be lovely to have a more recent picture.” Some questioned the authenticity of the photograph itself, wondering whether it had been heavily edited or digitally enhanced. “Has there been more photoshopping?” one commenter asked, while another questioned why there was “nothing Christmasy on the card.” Others focused on the timing, noting that the lush greenery and flowers suggested spring rather than winter. “Photo taken in April,” one person observed, while another added, “Nice, but I really wish that one year they had a more Christmas or winter-style photo.” These observations were accurate. The photograph was taken in April by photographer Josh Shinner, during the same shoot used earlier in the year to mark Prince George’s twelfth birthday and Prince Louis’s seventh. While it is not uncommon for royal Christmas cards to feature images taken months earlier, the springtime setting stood out more starkly than usual, especially in a year when public expectations seemed heightened.
To understand why reactions were so strong, it helps to consider the long history behind royal Christmas imagery. The tradition of Christmas cards within the British royal family dates back to the early nineteenth century, when Queen Victoria’s children sent handmade cards to relatives and friends. Many of these early examples, now preserved by the Royal Collection Trust, emphasize craftsmanship, symbolism, and seasonal motifs. As photography became more accessible, royal Christmas cards evolved into photographic portraits, particularly during the reign of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. These images were often formal, reflecting the values of duty, restraint, and continuity that defined the monarchy in the mid-twentieth century. Over the decades, as public attitudes shifted, so too did the tone of royal photographs. Queen Elizabeth II gradually embraced more relaxed family portraits, especially later in her reign, helping to humanize the monarchy while maintaining its sense of tradition. Prince Charles, now King Charles III, continued this evolution, and both of his sons have followed suit. Against this backdrop, the Waleses’ decision to use a spring photograph is not unprecedented. What makes it notable is how strongly it diverged from public expectations of what a Christmas image “should” look like, particularly during a period when many people sought familiar seasonal comfort.
Context also matters, and the 2025 card cannot be separated from the personal challenges the family has faced in recent years. The previous Christmas card released by the Waleses in 2024 had already attracted attention for different reasons, featuring a computer-generated snowy effect that some found unusual. That release coincided with Princess Catherine sharing a pre-recorded video announcing that she had completed chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis earlier that year. The emotional weight of that announcement overshadowed debates about aesthetics, reframing the card as a symbol of resilience and hope rather than seasonal presentation. By 2025, the family was emerging from what Prince William himself described as an exceptionally difficult period. In interviews, he referred to 2024 as “brutal” and later called it “the hardest year of my life,” reflecting the strain of balancing public duty with deeply personal challenges. Catherine revealed earlier in the year that she had completed treatment and was in remission as of January, a milestone that marked a turning point for the family. Since her diagnosis, they had largely retreated from the public eye, prioritizing health, recovery, and time together. Seen through that lens, the 2025 Christmas card appears less like a missed opportunity for festive flair and more like a deliberate choice: a portrait emphasizing life, closeness, and renewal rather than seasonal spectacle.
Looking ahead, the Wales family appears to be entering a new phase. Their move to Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom residence within Windsor Great Park, has been described as a symbolic fresh start, offering greater privacy while remaining close to the heart of royal life. Catherine has gradually resumed select public engagements, including hosting her fifth Together at Christmas carol service, an event that honors individuals who make meaningful contributions to their communities and underscores the values of service and compassion. Plans for the holidays suggest a return to familiar traditions, with the family expected to spend Christmas Day with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Sandringham. The King and Queen released their own Christmas card earlier this month, also featuring a photograph taken in April, commemorating their twentieth wedding anniversary. Framed in deep red and accompanied by a more traditional greeting—“Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year”—their card underscores how varied royal approaches to the season can be. Ultimately, the debate surrounding the Waleses’ 2025 card reveals as much about public expectations as it does about the photograph itself. While opinions may differ on what makes a Christmas card feel festive, the image reflects a family emerging from a challenging chapter, choosing warmth, togetherness, and quiet optimism over overt seasonal cues. In that sense, the card may capture something deeper than decorations ever could: the value of simply being together after a year that tested them in ways few could see.