Royal Christmas cards have a touchy-feely look this year

Maybe there was a note sent to royal families in Europe, but many of this year’s Christmas cards seem to have similar images of families hugging each other affectionately.

Touching, linking arms, holding hands, hugging, they all send messages to each other about how close they are.

It’s as if royal superglue was applied to these Christmas portraits, binding them together. This is the age of relatable royals.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are leading the way with a Christmas card showing a relaxed, informal family group bonding with each other in the Norfolk countryside.

As with last year’s card, they continue with a style that is far from a strict, formal portrait, showing a tender young family dressed in jeans and sweaters, having fun together on a spring day.

Prince William has talked about changing his approach to the monarchy.

This makes them look like other families, their eye lines do not look down on the viewer, they literally reflect an image of their feet on the ground, sitting on the grass.

Compare this to the 1969 Christmas card, which showed the royal family laughing, smiling and gathering around a boat. This probably needed to feel casual and modern.

But they’re dressed very stiffly, they all stand apart and look like they’ve been given a prize on a game show.

Back in 2025, King Charles and Queen Camilla are arm in arm making Christmas cards; This is a sign of unity in what has been a busy year.

The photo is a mix of friendly and formal, taken on the first day of an official visit to Italy, where the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.

The Queen wears the lily of the valley brooch, a symbol of enduring love.

This trip was in April, which provides the spring background for the Christmas card. The setting is Villa Wolkonsky in Rome, the elegant residence of the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Italy.

Prince Harry and Meghan are holding hands on their Christmas card, or actually “Happy Holiday Season” card.

Unlike others, they finished the season the right way; Festive snow is seen in a photo taken from the Invictus Match in Canada in February.

They look like a trendy couple, smiling optimistically behind sunglasses. There is a feeling of movement.

Although the message was less cordial in its framing: “On behalf of the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

This portrait of the Belgian royal family shows them as if they were heading to a big event. Or at least I’m waiting at a very luxurious bus stop.

They opted for a more flamboyant look, such as suits, ties, and long dresses, as well as some greenery. The photo was probably taken outside their home in Laeken Palace, when the weather was warmer.

It’s a multilingual country and the greeting message inside – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – is in French, German, Flemish and English.

The Spanish royal family combined a variety of styles with their Christmas cards.

He projects an image of a relaxed, friendly family, as if he accidentally caught them on a walk in the countryside. No more ties or tiaras for these modern royals.

But it also has all the heraldic form of traditional court painting. A ruler and his family are looking after us. Velasquez in jeans.

Winner of the award for best village in the Asturias region, this setting sends a message about supporting Spain’s small communities and their traditional heritage.

Since King Felipe is 1.97 meters tall, the family group probably had to be arranged so that he could not walk over them. It is a very long process for the Spanish to dominate us.

Monaco’s royal Christmas card is even more grandiose, with a huge fire, oil painting, formal attire and a sense of royal order.

Also seen are smart casual looks à la Alan Partridge.

Bonus points for showing a bit of Christmas, complete with a tree and log fire, unlike most of the other cards, which are actually just people posting pictures of themselves.

Another extra detail is the little dog that sneaked into the photo next to Princess Charlene of Monaco. He is a former Olympic swimmer and has no qualms about making a splash.

Luxembourg royals Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stephanie have covered all angles for the 2025 card.

There is a tender, untense family atmosphere, full of playful laughter and children climbing on top of their parents.

It also has a proper tree with decorations, there’s a Rudolf reindeer toy, and some thought has gone into all the red splotches.

It may seem a little chaotic, but it has a Christmas feel to it.

However, there was no competition for this year’s winner. Juan Carlos, a scandal-plagued man who abdicated as Spanish king in 2014 and now lives in Abu Dhabi, has sent an irresistible royal Christmas card.

Standing in front of an artificial tree, five small dogs look regal in a sort of classic royal portrait lineup. But he barks more than Bach.

What does this mean? The light shines on the dogs’ ornaments. They look on with wrinkled, hopeful faces. It’s Christmas and it’s time for paws to think.