Royal Christmas cards have a touchy-feely look this year

Royal Christmas cards have a touchy-feely look this year Maybe there was a memo sent round the royal households of Europe, but many of this year's Christmas cards seem to have similar images of showing their families holding on to each other tenderly. The Prince and Princess of Wales showed a picture of family togetherness Touching, linking arms, holding hands, hugging, they're all sending messages about how close they are to each other. It's like royal superglue has been applied, connecting them in these Christmas portraits. This is the era of the relatable royals. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been leading the way, with a Christmas card showing a relaxed, informal family group cosying up to each other in the Norfolk countryside. As with last year's card, they're continuing in a style that is far away from a stiff, formal portrait, showing a young family having fun together on a spring day, full of affection, dressed in jeans and jumpers. Prince William has talked about making changes in his approach to the monarchy. And this is projecting an image that they're like any other family, with eye-lines not looking down on the viewer, literally down to earth, sitting on the grass. Compare that to this 1969 Christmas card, which shows the royals laughing, smiling and gathered around a boat. Presumably this was meant to feel relaxed and modern. But they're fairly stiffly dressed, they're all standing apart and it looks like they've just been presented a prize on a game show. Back to 2025 and King Charles and Queen Camilla are arm in arm in their Christmas card - a show of unity in what's been a busy year. The picture is a mix of the friendly and the formal, taken on the first day of the state visit to Italy, when the couple were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. The Queen is wearing a lily of the valley brooch, a symbol of enduring love. That trip was in April, which accounts for the spring backdrop for this Christmas card. The setting is Villa Wolkonsky in Rome, the elegant residence of the UK's ambassador to Italy. Prince Harry and Meghan are holding hands in their Christmas card - or in fact, a "Happy Holiday Season" card. Unlike others they've got the season right, with some festive snow captured in a picture from the Invictus Game in Canada in February. They look like a fashionable couple, smiling optimistically from behind their sunglasses. It's got a sense of movement. Although the framing of the message isn't so intimate: "On behalf of the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex." This portrait of the Belgian royal family shows them as though on the way to some grand event. Or at least waiting at a very upmarket bus stop. They've gone for a more polished look - suits, ties, long dresses - but also with a bit of greenery. The picture was presumably taken when it was warmer,...

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