Buckingham Palace has unveiled the official Christmas card for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, featuring a heartfelt photograph that pays a touching tribute to their two-decade marriage.
A Roman Holiday for a Royal Milestone
The chosen image captures the monarch and his consort standing side-by-side with arms intertwined in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky, the British Ambassador's residence in Rome. The photograph was taken in April 2025 during their Majesties' State Visit to Italy, specifically to commemorate their 20th wedding anniversary.
For the portrait, Queen Camilla selected a white and beige coat dress by designer Anna Valentine. She accessorised with a poignant piece of jewellery: the Lily of the Valley brooch that once belonged to the late Queen Mother. King Charles complemented the scene in a classic navy suit paired with a silver-grey tie. Inside, the card carries the simple, traditional message: 'Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year'.
Evolving Traditions: From Coronation Robes to Garden Blooms
This year's card marks a distinct shift from the formal tone set in the previous year. The 2023 royal Christmas card featured an official Coronation portrait taken by photographer Hugo Burnand in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace. In that image, the King wore the Imperial State Crown and Robes of Estate, while Camilla was adorned in Queen Mary's Crown.
The card for 2024, however, continues a more relaxed style initiated in 2023. Last year's card showed the couple posing casually in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, captured by photographer Millie Pilkington amidst blooming spring flowers. Camilla wore a blue Fiona Clare dress, with Charles in a light grey suit.
Looking further back, King Charles's first Christmas card as monarch in 2022 was an intimate shot taken by Sam Hussein at the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering just days before the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The 2021 card, released during his time as Prince of Wales, featured a similar garden photograph at Buckingham Palace.
A History of Royal Festive Greetings
The tradition of the British Royal Family sending Christmas cards has deep roots. While some reports suggest it began with King George V and Queen Mary during World War I in 1914, the Royal Trust Collection notes that the practice followed the introduction of the 'penny post', with the first cards sent in 1843.
A remarkable collection of royal Christmas cards from 1953 to 1989 was auctioned in November 2023, providing a fascinating visual record of the family's evolution. The collection, kept by the late Commander Sir Philip John Row, a former Deputy Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth II, included cards showing a young Prince Charles with Princess Anne, and later images of Charles with his sons, Princes William and Harry.
This year's selection, with its focus on marital anniversary and international diplomacy, continues the tradition of using the festive greeting to offer the public a curated glimpse into the monarch's personal milestones and official duties.
