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For many years, the royal Christmas card has been a vacation custom within the British royal household. The playing cards, which date again earlier than Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood, have been round for greater than 100 years, and because the royal household grows (2019 welcomed child Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor), their Christmas notes solely turn out to be increasingly festive.
It’s reported that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ship 750 to 800 Christmas playing cards annually. Philip additionally reportedly sends one other 200 playing cards to varied organizations the royal household is near. And don’t anticipate every card to have a generic message both. Based on Reader’s Digest, the Queen begins signing her playing cards in the summertime, so she will be able to have them prepared by the time the vacations roll round. As for what’s on every message, Reader’s Digest reviews that Queen Elizabeth II has a unique moniker relying on the recipient of the Christmas card. Politicians and heads of state will obtain playing cards signed with “Elizabeth R” (the R stands for “Regina,” the Latin phrase for “queen”), whereas buddies will get notes signed with Elizabeth. The Queen’s cousins will obtain mailers along with her nickname, “Lilibet.”
If that isn’t purpose sufficient to imagine that the British royal household is severe about their holidays, we don’t know what’s. See the evolution of the royal household Christmas card, from the early 1900s to the Meghan Markle period, forward.
1914 – King George V & Queen Mary
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One of many first royal Christmas playing cards was in 1914. The put up featured King George V and Queen Mary (Queen Elizabeth II’s grandparents) with a handwritten message about troops in the UK throughout the first yr of World Conflict I.
1978 – Prince Charles / Princess Anne & Mark Phillips
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Two royal households despatched separate Christmas playing cards in 1978. One was Prince Charles (Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son), who despatched a photograph of him with a canine and the message, “With all good needs for Christmas and the New Yr.” The opposite was Princess Anne (Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter) and Mark Phillips who despatched a photograph of their youngsters, Peter and Zara, with the message, “With all good needs for Christmas and the New Yr.”
1982 – Princess Diana & Prince Charles
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Princess Diana and Prince Charles despatched their first household Christmas card in 1982. The put up included a photograph of the couple with their new child son, Prince William. They wrote, “With all good needs for Christmas and the New Yr.”
1985 – Princess Diana & Prince Charles
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After Prince Harry’s birthday in 1984, Princess Diana and Prince Charles despatched this Christmas card in 1985, which confirmed the household exterior as the 2 younger princes rode a pony. Prince Charles stood by in a kilt, whereas Princess Di watched her sons lovingly. The couple included the identical message as earlier years: “With all good needs for Christmas and the New Yr.”
1986 – Princess Diana & Prince Charles
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Now a bit older, Prince Harry and Prince William sat and stood in Prince Charles’ lap for this Christmas card in 1986. The put up additionally included Princess Diana subsequent to her then-husband, with a cute canine in her lap.
1987 – Princess Diana & Prince Charles
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Prince Harry and Prince William wore matching outfits for this Christmas card in 1987. The brothers stood on a fence as their mother posed behind them. Their dad, Prince Charles, additionally stood subsequent to them together with his fingers crossed. The household switched up their message this yr. They wrote, “Wishing you a really completely satisfied Christmas and New Yr.”
1990 – Princess Diana & Prince Charles
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In 1990, six years earlier than Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ divorce, the household despatched this Christmas card with Prince Harry and Prince William in matching pink sweaters and grey slacks. The brothers posed on the palace, with their dad and mom behind them.
2001 – Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex
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Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, despatched this Christmas card in 2001 together with his spouse, Sophie, Countess of Wessex. They wrote, “Wishing you a merry Christmas and a cheerful New Yr.” The cardboard was despatched two yr earlier than the couple welcomed their first little one, daughter Girl Louise Windsor.
2005 – Prince Charles & Camila Parker Bowles
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After his marriage ceremony to Camila Parker Bowles in April 2005, Prince Charles despatched their marriage ceremony image because the couple’s vacation card for that yr. The picture featured the couple on their completely satisfied day as they stood arm in arm. On Prince Charles’ facet had been his sons Prince William and Prince Harry (who seemed away from the digicam.) With Camila had been her youngsters, Tom and Laura Parker Bowles.
2016 – Prince Charles & Camila Parker Bowles
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Prince Charles and Camila despatched a card as married couple in 2016. The picture for the cardboard was taken on their royal tour of Croatia. The couple met native performers in conventional attire on their go to to Tvrda, an previous city within the metropolis of Osijek.
2017 – Prince Charles & Camila Parker Bowles
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Prince Charles and Camila saved it easy for his or her 2017 Christmas card. The couple’s picture got here from the Duchess of Cornwall’s seventieth celebration within the Orchard Room of their Highgrove Home.
2017 – Prince William & Kate Middleton
Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Photos/Shutterstock.
The household is all right here! One in all Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first household Christmas playing cards was in 2017. The picture featured the couple as they stood behind their two youngsters, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who had been dressed to match their dad and mom. The household posed in Kensington Palace for the shot.
2018 – Prince Charles & Camila Parker Bowles
Picture: Hugo Burnand/Shutterstock.
For 2018, Prince Charles and Camila despatched this romantic picture of them sitting on a bench. The picture was placed on the Christmas tree in Clarence Home.
2018 – Prince William & Kate Middleton
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This now-iconic household picture was Kate and William’s Christmas card in 2018. The picture featured the household as they posed exterior Anmer Corridor in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Dressed casually, Kate and William leaned towards a tree as their youngsters performed behind them. Prince George balanced on one leg, Princess Charlotte sandwiched herself between her dad and mom and Prince Louis sat comfortably in his mother’s arms.
2019 – Prince William & Kate Middleton
Air Commodore Daybreak McCafferty shared this Christmas card she obtained from Prince William and Kate Middleton on Twitter. The put up featured the couple with their three youngsters dressed in numerous shades of blue. Prince William sat on a automobile together with his youngest son, Prince Louis, in his lap. By his facet are his different two youngsters, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who posed for the digicam. On his different facet is Kate who stuns in a floral blue gown.
2019 – Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched the next put up as their Christmas card for 2019. The candid picture confirmed the dad and mom laughing within the background as their son, Archie, crawled towards the digicam. The couple dressed informal, with Meghan in a sweater and Harry in a shirt together with his sleeves rolled up, as they posed in entrance of a Christmas tree. The black-and-white picture included sparkles, in addition to the easy message: Merry Christmas and a cheerful New Yr.”
2020 – Prince William & Kate Middleton
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2020 Christmas card noticed them wearing informal sweaters and denims with their three children: Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The household sat on a bale of hay in entrance of stacks of logs as they smiled for the digicam. “The Duke and Duchess are delighted to share a brand new picture of their household, which options on their Christmas card this yr🎄,” the couple wrote on Instagram.
2020 – Meghan Markle & Prince Harry
The Animal nonprofit Mayhew tweeted Meghan and Harry’s 2020 Christmas Card, which noticed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their son, Archie. The picture noticed the household of three in a small outhouse embellished with pink bows and Christmas bushes with their two canines. “We’re thrilled to obtain great Christmas needs from our Patron, The Duchess of Sussex, who additionally made a private donation, serving to canines, cats and our neighborhood. Purple coronary heart From all of us at Mayhew, thanks and Merry Christmas,” Mayhew tweeted.
2021 – Prince William & Kate Middleton
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge saved the household custom going with their 2021 Christmas card. For his or her card, the couple had been joined by their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, aged 8, 6 and three, respectively, on the time the picture was snapped. Based on Kensington Palace, the household portrait was snapped throughout a personal household trip to Jordan earlier that yr.
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are happy to share a brand new {photograph} of their household,” the palace’s assertion learn. “The {photograph}, which options on Their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card this yr, exhibits The Duke and Duchess with their three youngsters Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in Jordan earlier this yr.”
2021 – Meghan Markle & Prince Harry
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared their first picture of their daughter Lilibet, who was born on June 6, 2021, for his or her 2021 Christmas card. The cardboard noticed Harry and Meghan wearing denims and csual garments as they sat exterior with their two youngsters: Lilibet, 6 months, and Archie, 2. Within the picture, Meghan might be seen holding Lilibet up as Harry and Archie, who sat on his father’s knee, might be seen smiling at them.
The cardboard was taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski on the couple’s residence in Santa Barbara, California. (Lubomirski additionally photographed Harry and Meghan’s 2018 marriage ceremony.) “Blissful holidays,” the cardboard reads. “This yr, 2021, we welcomed our daughter, Lilibet, to the world. Archie made us a ‘Mama’ and a ‘Papa’, and Lili made us a household. As we stay up for 2022, we’ve made donations in your behalf to a number of organizations that honor and shield households – from these being relocated from Afghanistan, to American households in want of paid parental go away.” The cardboard was first shared by Crew Rubicon, a veteran-led catastrophe reduction group serving weak communities.
2022 – King Charles & Queen Consort Camilla
For his or her first Christmas card as the brand new King and Queen Consort, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla shared a card with a photograph of them on the Braemar Video games in Scotland in September 2022. The cardboard, which was taken by photographer Samir Hussein on September 3, 2022, featured a photograph of the King in a tweed jacket and vest a pink, inexperienced and gold-striped tie and the Queen Consort in a inexperienced coat with a pink tartan lapel. “Wishing you a really Blissful Christmas and New Yr,” the cardboard reads. The cardboard was the primary Christmas Card Charles and Camilla despatched because the loss of life of his mom, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022, simply 5 days after the Christmas card picture was taken.
2022 – Prince Charles & Kate Middleton
Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, shared their 2022 Christmas card on Instagram on December 13, 2022. The cardboard featured a photograph of the royal couple and their three youngsters—Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis—holding fingers as they walked down a path. The picture, which was taken by photographer Matt Porteus, noticed William wearing a darkish blue button-up shirt and denims, whereas Kate wore a white high and denims. “Sharing a brand new image of the household for this yr’s Christmas card! 🎄” William and Kate captioned the put up.
Picture: Courtesy of Random Home.
