With just a fortnight to go until Christmas, the Waleses released their annual seasonal card tonight. This year, William and Kate chose a black and white portrait of the family, all attired in shirts and jeans, taken by London based photographer Josh Shinner. It's the second consecutive year Kate has chosen a white shirt and jeans for the Christmas card. We were treated to an array of fabulous festive imagery at the carol concert yesterday and I must admit this photo feels quite stark by comparison. It's a beautiful portrait, of course, but not necessarily the autumn/winter shot many of us were hoping for. We've seen a notable shift in Kate's style this year. Not only in terms of an almost complete transition to wearing trouser suits. There's a definite shift in the direction of minimalism overall, aesthetically. I suspect we're seeing that change evolve and impact the choice of family photography released.
King Charles and Queen Camilla chose a Hugo Burnard portrait from the coronation.
In 2014, William and Kate released adorable photos of Prince George (those cheeks!) taken on the steps of Kensington Palace by Prince Harry's former private secretary, Ed Lane Fox.
In 2015, they released a beautiful portrait taken among the autumn leaves at Kensington Palace. The Palace said the photograph was commissioned for their own use, but the couple decided to make it public because they liked it so much. It was taken by Wiltshire-based photographer Chris Jelf.
In 2016, William and Kate chose a lovely image of the family taken during the Royal Tour of Canada for their Christmas card photo.
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.
I honestly love it because it just eliminates so much chatter. Can hardly identify their clothes or setting. Just a beautiful photo of a lovely family. I love how they’re positioned. Last night at the concert, it was the little subtle things that I just loved. After they arrived at the Abbey and the family greeted the priests, I love how gently William touched Louis on the back of the head. I love all the photos of them holding their candles. Just a precious night! Sue from IL
ReplyDeleteLove your comments Sue I second them. It’s a beautiful calm picture of just them. Beautiful
DeleteDd
I agree. While I love the photograph. I understand why people aren't too happy with it. It's a huge contrast from the ones released before. When I looked at it, I saw two future Kings ,a future Queen and probably the next Princess Royal and of course a handsome young Prince.S.🙂.
DeleteThe children really love these shoes, year in and year out
DeleteI love seeing all the different pictures used over the years. Lovely family.
ReplyDeleteI definitely thought their Christmas card would be a family portrait from the Coronation! But I like the minimalism of this too. Charlotte looks lovely - so grownup and her hair is so long! You can tell she idolizes her mum!
ReplyDeleteI like it. It's a beautiful family photograph. What a difference a year makes. George is getting very tall. Princess Charlotte looks beautiful and very grown up. Prince Louis is just handsome. For a boy of 5 years old, H was very well behaved last night and a credit to his Parents. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteI must say, Charlotte, I agree with you on how this photo is stark. I was hoping for a wintery/autumny photograph as well. This lacks any personality, commonality to me.
ReplyDeleteI am also noticing that ever since the Queen’s passing, Catherine and William are more out of the spotlight than before. The clothes on the family are always repeats, and very minimalistic. I am wondering why. Can anyone explain this? It seems like it should be quite the opposite.
I also was shocked Catherine did not throw in any green or red with her white outfit during the carol service.
Maybe we will see another Christmas family portrait. One can hope.
I have to say I disagree. Kate has worn so many new pieces over the last year, to the extent that if feels as though she is quite out of touch with the economic and social climate of the country. It's wonderful that she patronises British designers, to a point, but she seems tone deaf to the way her choices are perceived. She has hundreds and hundreds of items of clothing that have been worn once and never seen again, that could and should be reworn. This would be her "walking the talk" re reducing reusing and recycling sustainable fashion. Leading by example is a powerful influence for good - let's see that for a change!
DeleteI totally agree. Kate is going for a much more relaxed/casual style lately…I’m really missing her usual self.
DeleteInteresting. I think they are much more in the spotlight when we see them. Cathrine’s choice of clothes are very bold a lot of the time. She wears strong colours all over and stands out.
DeleteI think many, me included, had hoped to see them doing more engagements. With their rise up the ranks and 3 children being in school till afternoon as well as a nanny.
C.
I think I can explain - the clothes: cost of living crisis. Everyone around the western world feels that their standards are lowering. And it is very wise from Kate not to spend loads on new clothes. She owns enough. She has timeless pieces, high quality and pricey, and her shape has not been drastically changing for like 20 years so it feels quite redundant for her to buy more new clothes. I am not even a british taxpayer and I still rejoice when Kate wears a repeat as it just seems in touch with reality (cost of living AND sustainability).
DeleteAs for their low profule. I guess they are just contemplating their next steps. They have hellish years ahead. Charles is supposrted by 2 of his siblings and one of their spouses + other members of the family. William will have NOBODY to work alongside him. No sibling to support him. Kids will still be probably fairly young. Taking in the York sisters seems improbable. So I guess we can't blame them for bracing themselves for tough times. Although I wpuld love for Kate's workload to increase significantly by now.
I feel the picture is good. They have tried different styles over the years. Travels, summer, atelier...there are always people loving the picture and hating the picture. Summery or travel pictures are not enough festive and new for people, atelier pics are staged, they are damned if they do, damned if they dont. And who knows, maybe they had another Jordan pic in store and had to back off because of Jordan's representative's comments on Israel. Maybe they had such busy autumn with George's exams that they had no time for an extensive photoshoot.
And one last comment for the white of Kate's carol ensemble - for me, christmas colors are red, white and green. She has worn red, so probably she was choosing between green and white and chose white - hopefully green gets its turn next year. Ella
It is very much the Wales signature to be understated. Modest rather than showy; not shouting your material success. Not talking about “things”, but putting the focus on experiences and relationships.
DeleteI agree too many new clothes this year from Kate , too few engagements , too narrow a range of patronages and too few of them .
DeleteI feel they are out of touch with the general public. In my opinion it’s time for them to up their game . GT
I don't think they face hellish years! The idea of a royal family is pretty antiquated and unrealistic. Who wants to be born for a subservient role? I imagine W&K will decide what they want to take on and then set their schedules around that. Beatrice and Eugenie probably don't want to be dictated to -- they both have such lovely lives now! I think traditional events will be prioritized and fewer events focusing on individual charities, etc. will be attended. The three children probably will work their interests into being working family members as they have much different and much happier childhoods, focusing on being their self-esteem and confidence.
DeleteAnonymous 10:41: I don't think we have seen many repeats to be honest. Kate has worn tons of new outfis and not from the High Street. I have no problem with that though.
Delete@Charlotte: I would love to see some outfit posts with showcasing all her outfits sorted into categories.
Allison, I agree with you but still think it will be hellish. Their chair is rocking under them - I bet they just want to preserve the monarchy. They need publicity to stay relevant but they will only have very limited manpower to create the publicity. They will be attacked as too pricey, too antiquated, outdated, they will be called an old fashioned concept. It is not as if Kate and William had their way paved. They will very much have to find their ways to work around things, to use new tools (we already see a lot of improvement on their social media). It seems like quite a lot to me.
DeleteA bit of fantasizing here - I would love to be a working member of the RF :-) I don't think it is subservient, I work for someone irl anyway, I represent them with my work and I do listen to them as I am not (and wpuld not want to be) the top management. I still see the RF as a meaningful and powerful institution and professionaly I wouldn't mind to dedicate my work to them, even in a supposrting role. Charity is such a meaningful job to me. Ella
My favorite years are 2018 and 2020. Such a beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteMe too. The fact that they pose in nature makes the family closer to who we are too.
DeleteRegarding this year's photo, I have difficulty forming an opinion. All the family is smiling and dressed simply, but they seem to be consumed by the importance of the background. And finally I find the photo almost sad.
I absolutely love this photo!! Not at all stark in my opinion. Such a beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteHow does one get a Christmas card from the Wales Family? I would love to have one.
ReplyDeleteI believe you send one to them.
DeleteThe background of the photo seems quite dark and unfortunately does not work well in this setting or with this type of group pose. An image taken outdoors or with better lighting is needed along with more close up images, I know K is a talented photographer so I’m surprised she agreed to release this - celticgirl
ReplyDeleteI'm torn. It's a nice photo but not a great Christmas card photo. They all look nice. What is odd to me is how far out the photo is taken. It's a studio photo so it's odd to have so much of the backdrop showing. It could have been cropped closer which sadly gives the impression of keeping people at a distance. To me it comes off a little cold and distant due to the massive zoom out.
ReplyDeleteI agree; it’s a good picture of their family, but it seems odd to have so much of the background showing.
Delete-Royal Watcher
This comment captures what I think about this photo. I think B&W can work well but I would have preferred colour. I do think it's good they mixed it up though. I'd love to see a more glamorous photo of them all in evening dress. The 2016 photo makes me smile. The man is the only person over the years to feature who is not family. He must have had a shock when they chose it!
DeleteNC, I agree. Its too distant. When I first saw it I thought it looked like a moonscape!
DeleteI'm in this 'camp' as well. My first thought, "why wasn't it cropped?" It's odd. I love the way the family was staged, Charlotte sitting in a pretty chair, Louis below Will with his hand on his son, George next to his mum and her arm around him, Will and Kate side-by-side. I wish that they had staged this photo outside in 'their' beautiful garden exactly the same. The juxtaposition of the pretty chair on the grass or stone with plants & trees surrounding them would have been more interesting IMHO. I will say everyone has a lovely natural smile.
DeleteI did want something more festive than just white for the concert but I rather like this -- a lot. Kate looks very pretty and I much prefer this to last year's just in terms of how attractive she looks. I remember H&M's B&W wedding photos and I've grown to enjoy B&W vs color.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if W&K are trending toward a less traditional royal family. I think it would be great for them personally to be free to be a family not dictated by others. It would be more fair to the children certainly.
Allison, I think those wheels are all ready in motion. William got to see a different side of life thanks to Diana and loved it. I'm sure he would want the very same if not more for his children.I would imagine that the Princess of Wales would want to keep her children very grounded. They choose to live in a 4 bedroom house with no live in staff. It's a beautiful detached property and quiet large. They could be living in their apartment at Kensington palace. 22
Deleterooms and full time household staff. I would think they will try hold on this for as long as possible.S.🙂.
Three words. Ugly Christmas sweater/jumpers
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean? I'm afraid I don't understand. Zora from Prague
DeleteHi Zora ! In the US , we have fun wearing ugly sweaters/jumpers for Hanukkah and Christmas. Over-decorated on purpose . Some have garland and blinking lights! The knit patterns are not traditional like frogs, flamingos, canned goods, anything silly . Families , friends and charities will have an Ugly Sweater Party and pick out a winner. It’s adds an extra layer of laughs.
DeleteI mean it would have looked a bit more relatable if they were all wearing sequined bright colored Christmas sweaters.
DeleteThank you for explaining it to me. I think it wouldn't be a good idea if they tried to be "relatable" in this way. Just imagine the storm of criticism. I can almost hear expressions such as "lack of judgement", "costumey", "silly", "showy", "ostentatious", "over the top"... Wearing jeans and white shirts is perfectly relatable to me. The photo may not be to everyone's taste but that is always the case. I'm sure the recipients of their card will be very pleased, focusing more on the family's smiles than on anything else. Zora from Prague
DeleteI actually really like this picture…black & white is classic & timeless and they all look wonderful! Charlotte has changed most since last year’s picture….she looks quite mature. Just a lovely picture of a lovely family!!
ReplyDeleteDitto Donna! Zora from Prague
DeleteI like the picture. They look very natural, and of course they are a beautiful family. The three children are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Tedi! It is a beautiful picture, full of happiness, and that's the kind of natural beauty that shines in this photo....they are a very happy family and it shows.
DeleteThis looks so sad with the lack of color. It’s like a funeral. The photo should be in color
ReplyDeleteIt’s a big miss for me. Like others said it is odd how much background is included. What is must strange to me is how casually everyone is dressed and then there is this formal chair and background. Jeans and white shirts are a great look. Th family just needed to be outside.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Charlotte! I have to say while this is a lovely photo, it doesn’t say Christmas to me. The one thing I love about England is their formality. So not a surprise my favorite pic is from 2017. I also like the outdoor pics, or their travel pics. Everything to me as of late, is leaning towards being more on trend…her hair, her clothes, last nights attire, and now the photo. Not bad, just not what I’m used to. Change is good, right? Or is tradition better? ☺️
ReplyDeleteJoanne in CA
It is a gorgeous photo. Agree that it has too much of the background. Also for a "holiday photo" it is a bit stark, I hope in the future they go with something a bit different, however we have no idea what the card they enclose this with looks like.Ali
ReplyDeleteThe Wales’ don’t really release a Christmas Card in the traditional sense. They release a annual family photo, calling it a Christmas Card. If you look at the pictures over the years we have yet to see one that is Christmas inspired.
ReplyDeleteOnce you make peace with that, I love the variety of photos they chose over the years. We had a couple of years of outdoor photos so having a studio photo is nice change.
The modern informal portrait also create a nice juxtaposition with Charles and Camilla’s picture from the coronation.
I commented earlier, but what is the logo on George's shirt? I wish they had put him in a logo free shirt.Ali
ReplyDeleteI too thought about this. Looks like the polo pony - Ralph Lauren.
DeleteI'm guessing it Polo by Ralph Lauren. S.🙂.
DeleteI hmm I love their new Christmas card the princess of wales look pretty Prince of wales looks good to the wales children are all grown up I love princess Charlotte sneakers and absolute beauty they look like any other photos
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the B/W, but there is too much of what looks like an old carpet all around the Wales family. Also the picture is too small. If you try to enlarge it, the picture becomes so out of focus that everyone's features are blurred. Could have been done in a much better setting.
ReplyDeleteVery disappointing.
Such a darling photo!! Is it just me or does Kate look absolutely gorgeous in this photo?! Either way, this is a beautiful family and it’s a warm and tender photo, in my humble opinion. 🤍🖤
ReplyDeleteI am really not a fan of this photo. It looks like the standard family portrait most families did at a studio in the 1990s. The bland background, the matching. I am sure the Middletons have a similar photo at home somewhere. As we all do.
ReplyDeleteThey did so much better in 2015, 2018 and 2020.
C.
That is my favorite photo of this family , I love so much.Simple, minimalistic,just lovely! The Christmas concert was fabulous also.I absolutely approve of Catherine wearing pants, when there are interactions with children you move much more freely. She absolutely nailed it, as always.
ReplyDeleteI had a wish for a family portrait from the Coronation, but the Wales's recent aesthetic has been to move away from this ceremonial and formality, so I suppose that was always a forlorn hope.
ReplyDeleteAs is, the portrait is quite nice and many of the 40 year olds of my acquaintance seem to love these black and white shots, but I prefer colour, and agree with what everyone else says about not being warm and Christmassy
They also seem to be moving away thr traditional monarchy. They are no 2 behind the king and camilla, and Charles, camilla, Anne, Sophie and Edward all have more engagements on their calendars this year
DeleteI love this photograph - everything about it. But no, it's not remotely Christmas-sy, and I have always found the royal tradition of sending family pictures as Christmas cards rather odd, to be honest. Such fun to see the children growing up. For the first few years George looked very like Michael Middleton; now he's more like William. Louis is still all Middleton. And Charlotte is so like William, but with a definite look of the late Queen, which is strange when you remember that William was a carbon copy of Diana until he was in his late twenties.
ReplyDeleteSarah, UK
It is quite common to send a family photo Christmas card in the States, but it is unusual here in the UK. These are their official cards, not necessarily the ones sent to family and close friends.
DeleteThough last year the card was released after the death of the queen it was taken before her death so it reflects the less formal Cambridge status and the nonchalant attitude before the changing of status and it's the last nature themed card (2018-2022). This year the card seems like a return to the 2017 card with a nod to Diana cards and their 2010 engagement card .It keeps a formal air yet the shirts,jeans lessen the effects.I guess this announce the new era for the Wales family .2023 was their first year as direct heir and the card signal that without tiara and robes.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Now the Prince and Princess of Wales.
DeleteI love it, mostly for their expressions. That looks like a happy, loving, and healthy family to me. I would like to see a more formal photo, but I understand that they're being more relatable here. This could be any family...as long as they were drop dead gorgeous, haha.
ReplyDeleteWith all the intrusive speculation, curiosity and criticism the past two years have brought to them and their family, I am not surprised at all that they are providing a black and white studio photo for their Christmas card. I don’t blame them for wanting to keep their personal lives private and reveal as little about themselves as possible with this picture. Simply reading all the comments about Catherine’s fashion and hair choices this past year alone is enough to explain why they are simply dressed in white shirts and denim. I think it’s a reaction to the public glare on them and I completely understand.
ReplyDeleteYou said it! The endless comments on EVERYTHING she does and doesn’t say, do, wear, etc. I just feel lucky we get a photo at all! ;) sue from IL
DeleteWell said BHF Mary. This is the one they chose to release publically, we are not privy to their photo albums, which I am sure have different poses and are given to different family members or placed in prominence on a table or mantle. This balancing act that they seem to navigate daily is tiring to listen to and hear, can you imagine having to live it? I remember reading years ago here on this blog, many saying that they needed allow more access from the media into their lives and that they were holding them at arms length, and when they open the door to allow more access, they are criticized ad nauseum. There's no winning, so I agree that they are going with what they want as a family to be presented to the public. Personally, I like the photo because what I see -above all else - is a very happy, healthy, close knit family, and isn't that what we would want for them as well....
DeleteKate is a public official who is funded by tax payers. It comes with the territory of being an unelected official
DeleteThis is a nice photo, but as a Christmas photo it's a bit dull. I agree with the others, about the zoom out - gives it a distant feel. They could have taken this same picture outside or in one of the living rooms by a tree and it would have been a much more festive picture. Strange choice.
ReplyDeleteI like the poses, but not this over-all black and white composition. They could at least put one item in it that looks like part of the holiday season. I know families who will wear Christmas clothes to the beach or other places so the photo is ready for holiday sharing.
ReplyDeleteI’m wading into a sensitive topic here - the issue of K wearing “repeats” It seems like it’s too often for some and not enough for others. But really how often does anyone want to wear clothes we’ve had for 20+ years? Consider the boredom factor. Anyway that’s why I prefer to buy fewer but more classic styles. I do wish K had a more consistent public style, her outfit choices are typically appropriate but often feel costumey. That’s one reason why I think some outfits are rarely reworn as it’s because they are for a specific event vs a genuine personal style choice, The outfits worn on tours are a good example of that. Hopefully she donates things as did Diana who was well known for this. I hope K is now transitioning into a style she actually likes vs something she thinks is expected. - celticgirl
ReplyDeleteI think you are spot on with her not having fund "her" style in terms of work. She is pretty much dressing the same or in her style in private though.
DeleteThe crazy thing is that she owns a lot of pieces from years ago that would still look great today. Kate has a tendency though to change up her complete working wardrobe every couple of years or so. Instead of incorporating just a handful of new pieces it's suddenly pant suits 90% of the time.
I also agree about her clothes sometimes being too costum-y. Especially when it is about tours. I mean, if you have no other nod to Ireland than wearing a shamrock and green thats quite the lazy appraoch. How to show you have no deeper clue about the culture of this country whatsoever.
C.
Anon 10.01: it is interesting how she goes through cycles. It makes you wonder what we'll see once the trouser suit phase is over! There are so many outfits I'd love to see again.
DeleteIt's a lovely photo. I'm wondering though, am I the only one who sees Queen Elizabeth's father, King George, particularly in his youth, in our Prince George? Maybe I'm imagining it.
ReplyDeleteEC Anon Here - I always try to keep a middle ground. Fair, but critical is my go-to these days when it comes to Kate. Because quite honestly, Kate, seems so lost lately. I'm not sure how much other powers that be play a role in that, but her style of late, work output, and this Christmas card, are most certainly signals. These changes point to a new direction for this family that is so stark, so bland, it lacks personality. That's a problem that I will get to in a moment, but first, I'm going to start with the good.
ReplyDeleteThe kids are absolutely darling. Charlotte looks like such a grown up and George looks so regal. Little Louis is getting to be a tall one, but I still see a ton of Baby Middleton in him which is adorable. Another nice thing...Kate's hair actually looks nice here. I'm not a fan of her recent hair change, but in this card, it looks good. One last nice thing to mention...Will looks like such a proud papa. It's really lovely to see him like this. Now to my criticisms.
I'm a little tired of this new movement towards minimizing this family, its traditions, and its duties. I'm not a British taxpaying citizen, but clearly, I enjoy the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the BRF. The role of this family is to use their status to highlight the family, the country, and its affiliated patronages so that it can maintain its influence on a global scale. If they minimize too much, isn't there a very legitimate risk that more and more people will wonder what purpose the family even serves? I know that there are fair arguments to be made that perhaps they are doing less and paring back their clothing and overall sparkle because of the global economic concerns, but this won't stop the money from being allocated to them. There is an awful lot of money spent on this family and they are not elected to any position, they are not really doing anything more than soft diplomacy. Part of that is bringing the sparkle. If I were a taxpaying citizen, I would really start thinking about this more.... what are they doing and why am I paying for what amounts to less work since QEII passed? I think, if they do less, they should have a reduction in available funds at their disposal. The last thing I will say is this.... they are behaving like people that take more than they give.
I would like to comment on your suggestion Kate&Will do less since QEII passing.... I think it is discussed here continually. I was looking somewhere at the numbers of engagements and what struck me is that Camilla and Kate have almost the same number of solo engagements. And I think it could be related.
DeleteWith the Coronation year, I think there is a feeling the focus should be on the King and his wife. They are the ones that should be seen. So I think the idea of Kate (or Will) doing more engagements and being more seen is not desired.
They can do whatever amount of work behind the scenes. We don´t know about it. They want the spotlight to be on the King (and Camilla).
And I think that will eventually change with the years ahead... When the King gets older. When it won´t be his first year as a King.
Then it would be the right time to demand Will&Kate to do more and to be seen.
As per todays paper’s engagements done last year including coronation
DeletePrincess Anne 457
King Charles 425
Camilla 233
Duke of Edinburgh 297
William 172
Kate 128
The figures speak for themselves- obviously quite often one day is often more than 1 engagement.
Duke of Edinburgh did as many engagements as W &K together and Anne well over 3 times the number of Kate ….. GT
Anon 1515: thanks for sharing the year stats. They often big up their numbers on foreign tours so that will have hindered them this year but, nonetheless, very interesting. I wonder if the fact that they are really the only royals of their generation is playing into this? I.e. are they anticipating working every waking hour as the older royals step back? I do think the future workload must be a bit daunting in terms of number of working royals in, say, 10 years time.
DeleteWell yeah, I get the numbers.
DeleteBut how often is Anne or Edward in the news? The vast majority (or all) of their engagements go unnoticed by the press (or the public).
My point is, if Kate would do as many engagements as them, she would be all over the media every day.
Anon 15:15 Catherine has made it known that her young children are her priority. I think she's right. Jacqueline Kennedy was famous for saying, "If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much.” Catherine is raising the next generation of royals, so its important. Also, a number of her charities require behind the scenes planning and meetings, so I think just counting the number of times she shows up in public is misleading.
DeleteI completely agree, LilyBart—well said. And let’s just look for a moment at something like Catherine’s carol concert. She would have wanted to be a hands-on participant in the planning process, of course, which would have required many meetings with her staff. And the event itself serves as a way for her to thank and acknowledge people working for (in this year’s case) the early childhood charities that she is promoting in her Shaping Us campaign. Many of the elements of the concert, apparently, related to and emphasized the importance of the early childhood years. So when the concert is televised on Christmas Eve throughout Great Britain—which is in itself a holiday gift to the British people—the Shaping Us message will go out in yet another way to everyone who tunes in throughout the entire country and to those of us in other places who will watch on line. This single event, which will count as only one appearance in Catherine’s tally, will have accomplished so much in terms of raising awareness of the importance of the early childhood years, raising the public profile of the charities Catherine works with in this area, and promoting volunteerism and community service to the public at large—not to mention giving a vast amount of people something to enjoy on Christmas Eve. Its impact is far greater than even 10 ribbon cutting appearances.
DeleteAnon 15:34, I agree. The concert counted as only 1 engagement for Kate, and it is obvious that it meant lots of meetings and calls and hours of preparation. As anyone who has been part of the organisation of such an event knows, it is very time consuming. Now, it also counted as 1 official engagement for the Duke of Gloucester or the Duchess of Edinburgh when their only input is just being there. It shows how this "numbers" have to be put in context.
DeleteThey look beautiful but I agree the black and white image isn't too cheery and a bit minimalistic for me and almost somber. I really do see Queen Elizabeth the II in Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteThe family look lovely but this is not very cheery and way too minimalistic and sober for my tastes. I really see Queen Elizabeth II in Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteThe family looks lovely but this is way too minimalistic and somber for my tastes. I can really see Queen Elizabeth II in Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteI like the photo and it was nice to see all the years previous to this one and the varying styles of photo they have used for the Christmas card, I think too much can be read into why a certain photo has been used but I think they like to mix it up and lucky for us they do! Sue in WA
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice picture in general. However, for a Christmas card it’s odd. They’re dressed so casual but it doesn’t make sense with the background. Not that it’s “fancy” just that it seems like if you’re going to have a backdrop you would dress up a bit. Their casual clothes worked for other pictures because they were outside for them. This looks odd. And it looks odd with how much the background is showing and just how far the picture is taken from. A miss for me as a Christmas picture.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful picture, nice that they tried something different.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't read too much into it, some comments here are are a bit over the top.
Natacha: Completely agree that many comments are over-the-top. The photo simply needed to cropped tighter to place focus on them in an artful style, too much background minimizes them. As for work ethic, the young royals are shifting to "meatier" projects bringing many charities together. Large projects such as Earthshot Prize, Shaping Us, homeless project and the carol service take more time and energy than a quick visit. We're seeing a shift that is responsive to societal needs.
DeleteAgree. Ali
Delete*They* are over the top in that they live extremely privileged lives. Expecting something a bit more lifelike than a department store looking picture us nit too much to ask I don't think.
DeleteAgree, Bluehare
DeleteHuge miss. Looks like they went to a Sear portrait studio.
ReplyDeletelol! This comment made me laugh! You are so right, it reminds me of the 90s pictures you got in sears or Walmart 😂
DeleteHow is George so grown up??
ReplyDeleteTheir Xmas cards never look Christmasy, so this fits with that. I would love to see a family photo from after the Coronation--and I bet one was taken and that will show up at some point. That said, they all look good in this one--they always look good!--and they look like a cohesive close family.
ReplyDeleteInteresting responses to this photo, both here and in the press. Missing digits and extra long arms aside, I find it a surprising throwback to the 80’s and 90’s. The mottled backround, which though we can’t tell in black and white looks like it might be the blue/grey splotchy back drop to every photo studio photo taken in the 80’s and everyone in a white shirt is so 90’s. It just looks like they (& photographer) were uninterested in making any kind of effort. Having said that, why do we feel that they need to please us with their Christmas card? They don’t
ReplyDeleteIs there no other engagements for the year Kate is doing or is she disappearing till next year. Not impressed with the number of engagements this year compared to Anne who is only a part time royal who did 400 plus engagements this year. The engagements number need to increase next year and not disappearing multiple times a year
ReplyDeleteThe Princess Royal is a full time working Royal. She has devoted her whole life to duty and service to the crown. I'm sure she is quite happy doing more knowing that the future King George is getting the best possible start in life.. I couldn't imagine her ever doing something that she doesn't want to do. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to have so many comments on the number of engagements. No wonder the Royal Family is feeling the pressure.
ReplyDeleteI always thought Kate being consequentual on this. This is her decision for some Freedom within the royal familiy and royal duties. It will be different with the children growing older.
But of course it Shows that Kate decided for a very conservative womens role.
This has disapointed me through the years. I do not feel inspired by her any longer.
She has just perfectioned what was wanted in women of wealthy families.
Looking young and slim. Creating picture perfect colour matching family outings. Pursuing no serious career of her own. Engaging in charity that supports children and health issues. Without getting to messy. The pictures of Diana holding children with Aids or Landmine victims are different to Catherine going through her Norfolk neighbourhood with Self made noodles at the height of the pandemic.
All this talk about giving the youngest a good foundation- without pointing at the core issues of that topic is time and money thrown away. I think I had wrong expectations and false hopes when she married into the BRF. With the Marriage of Meghan and Harry it became clear where the values still are but still it is disapointing for some like me.