It seems a trend was shared among various royal households, since many this year's holiday greetings display notably comparable pictures of households holding on to one another tenderly.
Making contact, arm in arm, holding hands, hugging—these poses collectively convey signals about how close the royals are to each other.
It's as if a monarchial adhesive has been applied, binding them in their seasonal images. This is the age of the approachable monarchy.
The Wales Family Pioneer the Trend
The Wales couple have been setting the tone, with a holiday greeting depicting a relaxed, unposed family unit drawing close to each other in the rural Norfolk.
As with last year's card, they are continuing a aesthetic that is a world apart from a formal, ceremonial photograph, instead presenting a family with children enjoying themselves together on a day in spring, exuding fondness, clad in jeans and jumpers.
The Prince of Wales has discussed making changes in his vision for the Crown.
This image is projecting an notion that they're no different from any domestic unit, with sights not looking down on the viewer, truly earthy, seated upon the grass.
A Contrast: The Formality of Past Years
Set that against to this 1969 holiday greeting, which depicts the royal family smiling, beaming and gathered around a boat. One imagines this was intended to seem relaxed and up-to-date.
But they're quite rigidly clothed, they're all standing apart and it seems they've just been awarded a trophy on a game show.
King Charles and Camilla: A Demonstration of Togetherness
Back to 2025 and The King and The Queen are linked together in their Christmas card—a demonstration of unity in what's been a hectic year.
The image is a mix of the amicable and the ceremonial, taken on the initial day of the official trip to Italy, when the duo were marking their 20th marriage milestone.
Camilla is wearing a lily of the valley brooch, a emblem of enduring love.
That trip was in April, which accounts for the springtime setting for this Christmas card. The location is Villa Wolkonsky in Rome, the stately abode of the UK's ambassador to Italy.
Harry and The Duchess: A Festive Image
Prince Harry and Meghan are holding hands in their Christmas card—or in fact, a "Happy Holidays" card.
Unlike others they've got the time of year right, with some Yuletide flurries shown in a photo from the Invictus Games in Canada in February.
They look like a stylish pair, beaming hopefully from behind their shades. It conveys a feeling of movement.
Although the presentation of the message is less personal: "From the team of Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex."
European Royals: An Assortment of Styles
From the Low Countries to Spain and Monaco, various regal dynasties have selected varied approaches for their holiday cards.
- The Belgian royal family offered a more polished family group portrait, wearing suits and ties with a bit of plants.
- Spain's family combined styles, conveying a casual, approachable family image in a pastoral backdrop that champions small communities.
- The Monegasque greeting is much grander, featuring a blazing hearth, portraits, formal clothes, and a pet with Princess Charlene.
- Luxembourg's family opted for a informally elegant look, featuring playful laughs, a Christmas tree, and holiday colors for a authentically Christmassy feel.
The Clear Winner
But there was unanimous agreement for the most memorable greeting. The former King of Spain, who stepped down in 2014, issued an irresistible monarchial seasonal message.
Five small dogs pose in front of an holiday fir, looking dignified in a sort of classic royal portrait. However, it's more playful than Bach.
What's the message? Illumination shimmers on the dogs' baubles. They gaze upward with adorably wrinkled faces. The holidays are here and that's a time for paws for thought.
This year's crop of regal holiday greetings as a group paints a portrait of modern monarchy: emphasizing warmth, relatability, and domestic connections above stiff formality.
