Buckingham Palace has unveiled the official 2025 Christmas card for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, offering a festive glimpse into the royal couple's milestone year. The card features a special portrait commemorating their 20th wedding anniversary, taken earlier this year in Rome.
A Portrait of Celebration in Rome
The chosen image shows the King and Queen standing side by side in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassador's residence in Rome. Queen Camilla is seen linking her arm through the King's in a display of unity. The photograph was captured by renowned royal photographer Chris Jackson during the couple's state visit to Italy.
In the portrait, Camilla wears a white and beige coat dress designed by Anna Valentine, adorned with a delicate lily of the valley brooch. King Charles is dressed in a blue pinstripe suit, a grey tie, and a silk handkerchief in his chest pocket. The card itself is elegantly framed with a dark red border, with a matching printed message on the reverse that reads: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year”.
Marking Two Decades of Marriage
The selection of this anniversary portrait is deeply symbolic. The couple celebrated two decades of marriage on April 9, 2025, during their Italian tour. They marked the occasion as guests of honour at a grand banquet in Rome. Sending this image on their Christmas card extends that celebration to hundreds of recipients worldwide.
As is tradition, the Palace will send out hundreds of these cards to a wide-ranging list that includes:
- Family and friends
- World leaders and diplomats
- Charities and organisations with royal patronage
Festive Preparations and Family Gatherings
The release of the card signals the beginning of the royal family's festive season. King Charles is preparing to host the wider family at Sandringham House in Norfolk for Christmas Day. Last year, the Prince of Wales revealed the scale of the gathering, noting he would be spending the day with 45 members of his family "all in one room".
The traditional royal Christmas involves a walk to the morning church service, followed by a traditional turkey roast with all the trimmings. The family then gathers to watch the King's pre-recorded Christmas broadcast on television. In his 2024 address, Charles paid a heartfelt tribute to the "selfless" doctors and nurses who supported him and the Princess of Wales during their cancer treatments.
Notably, the guest list for the festivities is expected to exclude the Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. The former prince was banished from official royal duties and stripped of his military titles and HRH style due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Despite the King's ongoing cancer treatment, he and the Queen have maintained a demanding schedule over the past year. Their duties included:
- A tour of Canada
- An audience with the Pope at the Vatican
- Hosting three incoming state visits at Windsor Castle for the leaders of France, the United States, and Germany
This marked the first time in nearly 40 years that the UK has hosted three state visits in a single year, underscoring a period of significant diplomatic activity for the monarchy.
