by 
COURTESY OF MTV
The Prince and Princess of Wales send Christmas greetings filled with sunshine.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have revealed a new portrait of their family – including their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7 and Prince Louis, 4 – which is being used as their birthday card this week. year. The image shows the five family members holding hands, all dressed casually for a walk in the sun. Prince William and Princess Kate are both sporting jeans, while George, Charlotte and Louis are wearing shorts and sneakers.
“Sharing a new family photo for this year’s Christmas card!” they captioned the snap on social media.
The sweet shot was taken by photographer Matt Porteous earlier this year in Norfolk. The family spends a lot of time at their country house Anmer Hall, which is part of the royal family’s Sandringham estate, and it’s where Kate is said to feel most comfortable.
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Last year, Prince William and Princess Kate picked out an unedited photo showing them posing with their children during a private family trip to Jordan.
The country holds significance to Kate, as she lived in Jordan for two years as a child when her father worked for British Airways. Prince William also previously visited Jordan as part of his Middle East tour in 2018.
For the 2019 photo, the family of five posed in cozy sweaters on a haystack in front of a large pile of logs at Anmer Hall. Each of them sports a big smile, including a very wide smile from little Louis, who is front and center.
The young royals will likely be celebrating Christmas at school this month. According to the school website, ‘Christmas festivities and opportunities make it extra special for our pupils, with every single child performing in a Christmas event, including Christingles, Nativity, Pre Prep House singing competitions and, of course, our end-of-term carol service.”
The family is preparing for the first holiday season since Queen Elizabeth’s death in September, after which King Charles III has named Prince William the new Prince of Wales as heir to the throne.
Following tradition, the royal family will spend Christmas Day at Sandringham. During her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth would take the train from London to Norfolk in December to spend her holidays at the country residence. She usually stayed at Sandringham until the anniversary of her father King George VI’s death and her accession to the throne in early February.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the royal family has been separated for the past two Christmases. In 2020, the Queen and Prince Philip vacationed at Windsor Castle apart from other family members. Queen Elizabeth was joined at Windsor Castle by Charles and Camilla last year after plans to return to Sandringham were canceled due to rising coronavirus cases.
Every Christmas, the royal family travels to the church of St. Mary Magdalene for mass, after which they greet supporters. Then they return to Sandringham to enjoy a traditional festive turkey feast.
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Prince George and Princess Charlotte made their Christmas morning debut alongside the royals for their annual walk to church services in 2019.
This year King Charles will tap its first Christmas broadcast, which the family traditionally watches at 3pm local time on December 25th.
Images by Joe Giddens/PA via Getty Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince William and Prince George at Christmas 2019
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This year will also see Kate hosting her second annual Christmas Carol Concert. King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend the event on December 15th.
“This year’s carol service is dedicated to HM Queen Elizabeth II and the values HM Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated throughout her life, including duty, empathy, faith, service, kindness, compassion and support for others,” Buckingham Palace said in a press release. “These principles are shared and personified by the inspiring guests who have been invited to the Abbey in recognition of their tireless work to help and care for those around them.”
While last year’s event featured performances by Ellie Goulding and Leona Lewis, 2022’s concert will be just as star-studded, with traditional singing from the Abbey Choir accompanied by guest performances including Craig David and the Miserables starring Samantha Barks. There will also be a special duet between opera singer Alfie Boe and Spice Girl Melanie C.
The readings will be given by speakers including Prince William, Kristin Scott Thomas and Paddington starring Hugh Bonneville. The Christmas Eve broadcast of the event on ITV will be narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones.
