{"id":630294,"date":"2025-12-13T14:39:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T14:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/630294\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T14:39:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T14:39:12","slug":"looking-back-at-the-best-royal-christmas-cards-over-the-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/630294\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking Back at the Best Royal Christmas Cards over the Years"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>The British royal family has released Christmas cards since the early 20th century.<\/li>\n<li>King Charles III and Queen Camilla select a photo for the card depicting a special moment from the past year.<\/li>\n<li>Prince William and Prince Harry often share family photos in their annual Christmas cards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_2-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Christmas cards are a beloved holiday tradition, and even the world\u2019s royal families get in on the fun. Every year, King Charles and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, are among those who release Christmas card photos commemorating all that\u2019s happened in the year. These pictures range from formal photoshoots to candid snaps offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse at their lives beyond their titles.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_3-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The cards are completed with cheerful inscriptions, offering good tidings and well wishes for the year ahead. Royals can choose whether or not to sign with their titles\u2014or skip the signature altogether, as William and wife Kate Middleton did in 2024. That year, the Prince and Princess of Wales <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DDwzZTct7Vw\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">used a picture<\/a> from the video Kate shared in September 2024, announcing she had completed chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The sweet snap showed the family smiling side by side in Norfolk, per <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/kate-middleton-prince-william-share-poignant-christmas-card-with-george-charlotte-louis-after-hardest-year-8759141\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">People<\/a>, where they have a country home.\n<\/p>\n<p> Royal Christmas cards sent by Princess Diana to her childhood housekeeper, Violet Collison.<\/p>\n<p>Joe Giddens\/PA Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_5-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Christmas cards are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/royal-christmas-traditions-8758838\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a tradition<\/a> dating back to the early 19th century\u2014the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct.uk\/collection\/stories\/a-royal-christmas\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Royal Collection Trust<\/a> even has handmade cards from Queen Victoria\u2019s children. The practice of sending out official holiday cards featuring a favorite family photograph began later\u2014with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Motherh, and continues today.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_6-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Below, look back at the best royal Christmas cards of all time.<\/p>\n<p>  1942: Princess Elizabeth  <\/p>\n<p> A Christmas card from Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) to the Grenadier Guards in 1942.<\/p>\n<p>Express\/Express\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_9-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> In 1942, a 16-year-old Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) starred in a meaningful Christmas card sent to the Grenadier Guards. It included a quote from a speech she gave on her 16th birthday, expressing that she would \u201cdo all in my power to uphold and foster the great traditions of the regiment which I have already learned to love.\u201d The message\u2019s tone was one of encouragement, uplifting the spirits of service members in the midst of World War II.\n<\/p>\n<p>  1972: Queen Elizabeth and Philip  <\/p>\n<p> A 1972 Christmas card from the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh is displayed on August 28, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>VALERIE MACON\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The 1972 greeting from Queen Elizabeth and her husband Philip, then-Duke of Edinburgh, featured a simple message of best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, flanked by the couple\u2019s royal seals. Although the picture accompanying the card is absent in this photograph, it was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.juliensauctions.com\/en\/items\/95440\/queen-elizabeth-christmas-card-and-program\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">put up for auction<\/a> in 2023 alongside a 1966 souvenir program for the Royal Household Social Club.\n<\/p>\n<p>  1987: Prince Charles and Princess Diana  <\/p>\n<p> A 1987 Christmas Card signed by Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.<\/p>\n<p>FREDERIC J. BROWN\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_15-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> A 5-year-old Prince William and 3-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/meghan-markle-royal-family-christmas-tradition-11861388\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prince Harry<\/a> make early appearances in this 1987 royal Christmas card, featuring Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The family coordinated in all-white outfits for the picture, although Diana\u2014known for her statement sweaters\u2014donned a top with black sequin appliques in an abstract celestial design.\n<\/p>\n<p>  2000s: Charles, William, and Harry  <\/p>\n<p> A 2000s Christmas card featuring Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry.<\/p>\n<p>John Stillwell &#8211; PA Images\/PA Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Sometime in the 2000s, Prince Charles selected this photo of himself and his two young sons seated on a log as the year\u2019s Christmas card image. The rustic snap demonstrates the more casual nature of royal Christmas tidings over the years, as the picture could pass for anyone\u2019s on your mantel. A copy sold <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reemandansie.com\/auction\/lot\/lot-66---hrh-the-prince-of-wales---signed-christmas\/?lot=17149&amp;so=0&amp;st=Charles%20christmas&amp;sto=0&amp;au=30&amp;ef=&amp;et=&amp;ic=False&amp;sd=1&amp;pp=48&amp;pn=1&amp;g=1\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">at auction<\/a> for \u00a3210 in 2017.\n<\/p>\n<p>  2019: Charles and Camilla  <\/p>\n<p> The 2019 Christmas card of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.<\/p>\n<p>Dominic Lipinski &#8211; WPA Pool\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_22-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> 2019 may have marked the first time a car was the centerpiece of the royal Christmas card. That year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instyle.com\/royal-family-christmas-2025-wistful-tone-kate-middleton-king-charles-11861923\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charles<\/a> and Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, chose a photo of themselves driving a vintage MG TD during a tour of Cuba. They were the first British royals to make an official visit to the country, per the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/uk-47688610\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p>  2021: Prince William and Princess Kate  <\/p>\n<p> Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children in a family Christmas card photo shared in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Instagram\/<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CXTg1Z5Nzbm\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@princeandprincessofwales<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_25-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> William and wife Kate released their 2021 Christmas card photo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CXTg1Z5Nzbm\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on Instagram<\/a>, revealing it had a special tie to the Princess\u2019s childhood. The photo was taken that year on a private family trip to Jordan, a country where Kate spent two years living while her father worked for British Airways, per <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/royals\/kate-middleton-prince-william-christmas-card-2021-prince-george-princess-charlotte-prince-louis\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">People<\/a>. Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George are all smiles alongside their parents as they pose in front of a rocky canyon.\n<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The British royal family has released Christmas cards since the early 20th century. King Charles III and Queen&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":630295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[5105,7710,519,448],"class_list":{"0":"post-630294","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-royal","9":"tag-royal-families","10":"tag-royal-family","11":"tag-royals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115712777475650370","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}