What to Know
Every year, Prince William and Kate Middleton share their family’s holiday card, offering up a new photo of the royal couple together with their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. And while the big reveal usually brings a lot of excitement for fans, this year, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Despite all the positive comments the photo received when the royals shared it on Instagram, royal watchers are saying that this was a low-effort choice on Will and Kate’s part… especially since this isn’t exactly a new photo of the family.
The family shared the card earlier this week.
All five members of the Wales family are posing together outdoors, looking totally relaxed in nature, which they’ve often shared is one of their favorite places to be.
“Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas,” they wrote in the caption of the photo, noting that it was snapped by photographer Josh Shinner in April 2025.
If the photo looks a bit familiar to you, that’s because it is. The royals have shared other photos from this shoot where the family is wearing the same outfits throughout this year, including Prince George‘s 12th birthday portraits and the post Kate shared wishing William a happy Father’s Day.
Royal watchers are saying that Will and Kate are doing the least with this one.
When the topic of Will and Kate’s new holiday card came up on a royals-focused subreddit, people didn’t hold back with their thoughts. The overarching opinion? They weren’t even trying this year.
“The lack of effort to take an actual Christmas-themed photo every year highlights how utterly lazy the Wales are,” said one commenter. “Allowing Will & wife to do absolutely nothing for the last 14 years has created a monster of privilege and lack of effort. The Wales are saying ‘you will have no input or insight into our lives and you will like it peasant.’ They basically throw it in our faces that they get paid to do nothing.”
Another described the photo as “boring and fake,” writing, “They love cosplaying the midlde class farmer family look. You’d never know their favorite mode of transport is the helicopter and they spend summers on Greek superyachts.”
To be totally fair, Charles and Camilla didn’t exactly use a brand new photo for their card, either.
When King Charles and Queen Camilla shared their holiday card earlier this month, they noted that the photo featured on it was also taken back in April, when the couple was in Rome during their state visit to Italy.
Still, a Christmas-themed photo would be cute if they could make it happen. And where Will and Kate are concerned, they must know how quickly kids change, including their own. April was practically a lifetime ago!
