The Christmas card of the Prince and Princess of Wales this year contains a special nod to their royal roles, hidden in plain sight.
The portrait on the card shows William and Kate with their three children sitting in field that has just come into bloom with a flower that marks the start of spring but has a particular resonance for the Wales family.
For all five are surrounded by daffodils, the flower of Wales.
It’s a quiet acknowledgement of their links to a country that has meant a huge amount to the Prince and Princess of Wales since the earliest days of their marriage.
(i-Images / Pool)
William and Kate spent several years living in Anglesey following their 2011 wedding and enjoyed some of baby Prince George’s earliest months in the country.
The couple have often spoken of their fondness for Wales and took Prince George and Princess Charlotte there on one of their earliest engagements.
Prince William was made Prince of Wales on September 9 2022 by King Charles in one of the first acts of his new reign.
Since then, the Prince and Princess of Wales have made continuous visits to the country, the latest coming a fortnight ago when William was in Newport to celebrate the country’s business community.
(Stephen Lock/ i-Images)
The daffodil has become the national flower of Wales as it blooms around March 1 which is St. David’s Day and the country’s national day. It’s also seen as a symbol of new life and hope and it was promoted as a symbol by David Lloyd George, one of the most famous politicians of the early 20th century, who was fiercely proud of his home country of Wales.
The title of Prince of Wales has been given to the heir to the throne of England (later the British throne) since the 14th century. The first monarch to bestow it on their heir was King Edward I who made his eldest surviving son, Edward, the Prince of Wales in 1301. It was seen as a symbol of Edward I’s power as he completed his conquest of Wales.
The next monarch to give the title to his heir was King Edward III who took the throne in 1327. Since then, the title has been created for many heirs to the throne. It always merges with the Crown when the holder becomes monarch and it is up to the new king or queen to decide whether to create it again for their own heir.
It’s become one of the most famous titles in royal history but it has some quirks. It’s never been created for a female heir – Elizabeth II never held the title of Princess of Wales. And it is never created for anyone other than the direct heir to the throne.
(Chris Getty/ Buckingham Palace)
William and Kate chose to follow King Charles and Queen Camilla by selecting a spring image for their Christmas card. The King and Queen used a portrait taken of them in April as they marked their twentieth wedding anniversary.
The photo of the Wales family was taken by Josh Shinner who also captured the birthday images of Prince George and Princess Louis which were released by the royals this year. Princess Charlotte’s birthday portrait was taken by her mum, Kate.
The Royal Family will gather at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas together and it’s expected that King Charles will be joined by Prince William on the walk to church on Christmas morning.
