The Prince and Princess of Wales released their annual family Christmas photo.
With the celebrations being over, the royal children are back to school following the well-deserved break. This year, they were given the chance to accompany their mom to the Carol service at Westminster Abbey which the Princess hosts on December 8 for the third year in a row.
The siblings were actively involved with the service and learned a lot about the importance of volunteering. Among the rest, they shared messages and wishes for children who might be struggling with Christmas by writing them down and placing them in a special card box. They also got to enjoy singers Beverley Knight and Adam Lamberg perform.
Regarding the service, the Palace announced that “the service will be a moment to thank all those who work to support babies, young children, and families in our communities across the UK and a celebration of the golden opportunity that the birth of a new baby brings.”
The event significantly adds to the Princess’ popularity.
“What Kate has done brilliantly is elevating her status and position within the broader royal family brand. Having a slot on Christmas Eve, it’s evidence of her appeal,” PR expert Andrew Bloch told Mirror.
“If ITV didn’t think there would be any audience interest in that, they wouldn’t give her that slot, which is a prime time slot over the Christmas period. Not necessarily consciously a power move, but she is positioning herself as a key member of the royal family and developing a brand in her own right.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales are always keen on celebrating the most magical day of the year with the rest of the family. This is because they want to give their three children a yearly family tradition.
“It’s important to them that their kids share childhood traditions like their school pals,” an insider told Us Weekly in 2018.
“They’re going all-out to make it extra special.”
They, however, always attend the formal dinner on Christmas Eve, often including Norfolk shrimp and lamb.
The morning, as per tradition, is reserved for a classic English breakfast consisting of eggs, sausages, bacon, and beans.
Following the traditional visit to St Mary Magdalene Church, the royals have their Christmas lunch, the main course of which being a roast turkey.
As per US Weekly, the family members also have upheld Henry VII’s tradition of “weighing in before and after Christmas lunch.”
At 3 p.m., the family sits down to watch the annual Christmas speech on television. Over the years, late Queen Elizabeth’s annual speech was a highlight for many, but as of last year, it is the new head of the monarchy, King Charles, who is giving a speech.
The truth is that tradition is the core of the royal family, and of course, Christmas at Sandringham is one of them, and apparently knowing what order in which to arrive is essential.
“The royals usually arrive the day before Christmas, and they arrive in order of seniority. The least important members arrive first,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun.
Another one is the annual Christmas card which the public waits for with a huge dose of anticipation.
This year, the photo of William, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis was black and white and lacked a festive background and ornate settings.
The caption under the photo taken by photographer Josh Shinner was simple, “Our family Christmas card for 2023.”
“Those children look pretty happy with life,” the palace insider told People Magazine earlier this year. “A lot of it is the stabilizing normality Kate brings — and that’s how she grew up. William absolutely loves it.”
“Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time,” a source close to the royal household added. “She wasn’t brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day.”
Shinner, who has taken a few more photos of the family, emphasized the theme of ‘normality.’
“It was such a pleasure to photograph The Prince and Princess of Wales and their family for the Christmas portrait this year,” Shinner shared on his Instagram page. “Without doubt one of the most relaxed and enjoyable sittings I’ve ever had, and I now have a whole new set of jokes that are right on my level thanks to the children…”
One of the photos featured George, Charlotte, and Louis sitting on a bench, with Princess Charlotte embracing her brothers with her arms. “Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! W & C,” the message read.
The cute photos of the siblings were widely shared and commented on and one thing many noticed is that Charlotte seems to be ‘the boss.’
“Wonderful photo of the young princes and princess. Merry Christmas to you all, your Royal Highnesses,” one user wrote on X, formally known as Twitter, as reported by Express.
Another added: “What a beautiful child! You can see that Princess Charlotte is going to be the glue that will keep the brothers together.”
A third commented: “Aww what a beautiful picture and surprise!!! Thank you so much. Merry Christmas to the entire Wales family! We all love you very much.”
Except for the royal fans, royals experts also noticed the same thing. Body language expert Judi James spoke to The Sun and said, “It’s so easy to see who is in charge of this sibling group. Sitting in the middle of the pose between her two brothers, Charlotte sits splayed in signal of confidence.”
James added: “With an arm round each brother, suggesting she sees herself as not only in charge when necessary but also in the role of protector. Her body language role mirrors both her mother here, but also Princess Anne in the look of perhaps being the strongest and most grounded member of the sibling group.”
Charlotte’s facial expression says that she’s proud of her brothers.
“Louis leans in show his affection and respect for his big sister. That one swinging leg between them suggests he also sees her as a playmate,” James added when speaking to The Sun.
“George is increasingly the grown-up in the trio: his torso is a little more distanced but his body language has the most symmetry. His smile is even, and his legs are splayed, showing he is increasing in confidence as he gets older.”
Aren’t they a beautiful family?
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