Today, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their annual Christmas Card with the world on social media.
It showed the young family–including Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6—together on the grounds of Anmer Hall, their family home in Norfolk. The whole family squeezes together, smiling, wearing various shades of blue and white. (It’s a favorite color of the Waleses.)
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Astute royal watchers may recognize the outfits and settings: the image originally comes from Middleton’s emotional September announcement that she had completed treatment for chemotherapy. Photographed by Will Warr, it showed Middleton and her family walking through the woods as well as playing on the beach. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,” she said in a voiceover. “Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary, and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.”
It’s a meaningful choice for Middleton: instead of organizing a new photoshoot of her happy family, she deliberately chose one that represented her emergence from a difficult time. After all, 2024 was a hard year for the Waleses. The Princess underwent surprise abdominal surgery in January, where cancerous cells were discovered, and then quickly entered treatment. In March, after intense speculation about her whereabouts, she announced her diagnosis to the world. At the same time, her father-in-law, Prince Charles, was also diagnosed with cancer. One could say that 2024 was the Waleses’ “annus horribilis,” a Latin phrase once used by Queen Elizabeth to describe another tough year for the royal family: 1992, when Windsor Castle burned and Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated.
Prince William and Kate Middleton captioned the card simply: “Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas,” they wrote. Perhaps no more needed to be said.
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