On December 9, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a new family photo and their 2023 Christmas card. The card will involve this photo. The black and white photo was taken earlier this year by fashion and portrait photographer Josh Shinner, and shows the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
A beautiful family photo - Louise
ReplyDeleteyes !
DeleteDreadful straining to be arty and stripping all seasonality in the process. A attempt at “universal” resulting in mediocre nothing much. Catherine’s eyes are not in focus when others are, which makes me suspect doctoring.
DeleteWhat happened to Louise middlefinger?
DeleteOh my how the children grow up fast- lovely family ♥️
ReplyDeleteI know that this Christmas card is supposed to make the Royal Family more approachable, however, where is the magic? The fine line between too much and too littl
ReplyDeleteExactly my thought, glad you say it!
DeleteVic
I don't think the major objective was to "make the RF more approachable " I think it was to get out a Christmas card, preferably with a family picture. I would have preferred a color picture myself, but this is a very nice family portrait. Honestly, the objective in life isn't to pick everything apart and find fault with all the little things.
DeleteTotally agree with Lily Bart!
DeleteTrying to be common in jeans after the criticism...not that it's not a pretty picture.
ReplyDeleteBut they've worn jeans in past Christmas card pictures. I think they're trying to 'rise above' all the 'criticism' and (as Prince Phillip would say) "just get on with it".
DeleteWhat criticism?
DeleteWell you have Kates $ 400 shirt asking for donation and low workload to mention a couple of them.
DeleteJeanslovers!
ReplyDeleteToo dark! Leon
ReplyDeleteWow Charlotte owns this picture!
ReplyDeletelol, agreed! So cute...and such a grown up pose :)
Delete- Anon 9:13
Exactly my thought. Charlotte is the centre of this formation. She has a really cheeky, self-confident personality. She looks like a normal girl next door. Frieda
DeleteAgree. Beautiful little Charlotte already has a lot of charisma!
DeleteLooking at the second picture, I notice that Louis' body proportions have changed in that his legs are shorter than usual. I do not understand why he should be wearing shorts, and his left leg has the shapiest ankle region I have ever seen on a young boy. And Kate has lost a leg, and the one remaining is in an incredibly awkward position. - Ellie
ReplyDeleteI agree. I do like black and white pictures, but this ? Why is it always the eldest son that is dressed normally with beautiful trousers and not sneakers like the 2 other children. It looks like this family is always exaggerating in one way or the other. This photo is depressing and has nothing to do with Christmas.
DeleteDear Ellie.
DeleteMy God. The Wales are falling to bits.
Missing body parts, short legs, lost legs, funny ankles etc.etc.
They’ll have to ask for a Santa with a medical diploma to visit them this year.
Dear Ellie, you called it correctly. The photoshop fails are noticed. Louis is missing a finger. Kate’s eyes are out of focus and the others are not. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12849759/Kate-Middleton-Christmas-card-Photoshop-fail-Prince-Louis.html
DeleteHave you seen Louis' hand? missing fingers? lol ...
DeleteMême si la photo est belle, j'aurais bien voulu la voir en couleurs !
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most depressing, horrible “Christmas” or “Holiday” cards I have ever seen. If they wanted a family portrait, fine. But don’t claim it has anything to do with this season. I don’t want flaming red and green but this gray, utterly Devoid of color, supposedly “arty” background is a slap in the face to this season and is not redeemed by their posing.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you ! confirm the B O R R I N G ....
DeleteAnna
“Slap in the face to the season” really made me giggle. It’s just a nice picture of the family with a studio background! They all look good and to me they also look happy and close together. I love it! - AnneLise
DeleteCan a Christmas card be duller and more boring than this ?
DeleteYes they are royals but can allow themselves a better pose than this very formal and boring snapshot.
Becky
Sad to agree, but I agree I do. It's like the Prince and Princess of Wales rounded up their family to take a photo for distribution to the public to get it over with. Nothing about this says Christmas.
DeleteThey could have easily gathered around the fireplace at one of their many homes and released something both warm and appropriate. Lovely family. Dull and disappointing holiday photo.
Going forward, I'm going to refer to this as the Wales' "Oliver Twist" Christmas card from '23. Everyone will know exactly which photo I'm talking about. ;D
DeletePretend to be like ‘anybody’, this is what wrong.
ReplyDeletePicture in black & white does it very depressing !
ReplyDeleteI laughed, they are absolutely stunningly boring …
DeleteYes as you say, depressing for a Christmas card. Well done to this young family, fortunately they smile 😂
Caroline
Anonymous yesterday at 14:27
DeleteMethinks that this pic may look depressing to already depressed eyes...
Strangely enough, you picked the word "depressing " from all the other possible options.
May Christmas bring you at least a little bit of joy!
This is a good picture of the family, but I do not like the black and white as much for a Christmas card photo and I do not care for the photo-studio-looking background.
ReplyDelete-Royal Watcher
Agree with you. Underwhelmed by it, sadly.
DeleteThe pros: The children look cute.
ReplyDeleteThe cons: This looks like a very ordinary styled family photo, the kind millions of families in North America and Canada (don't know about Europe and elsewhere) go to department store portrait studios to have taken. The B&W tones make it worse. Unless it's an art photo, a seasonal photo should have some colour to make it bright and jolly. In the uncropped photo that is the actual card (not shown on these pages but available on other social media) there is too much background and surround; the family is huddled in the center with too much blank space around them. Both William and Catherine look like tired parents who've just come home from a gruelling day in some middle office and are about to start making dinner for their smiling kids.
Can't say that this isn't a 'different' kind of photo, but far from their best in my view.
- Anon 9:13
The picture shows a modern family . All greetings are nice and deserves a nice and polite reception.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Frieda
DeleteWhat a gorgeous family! This is a beautiful photo. Do I wish it was a color photo--yes. Still, this is a great shot of the Wales family.
ReplyDeleteJanet
È una bella famiglia in una bella foto anche se in bianco e nero.
ReplyDeleteStupenda Charlotte che ruba la scena, è già reale così.
Rossella
To me a Christmas card has to be full of colour, bright and gay in the old fashioned way.
ReplyDeleteYou’re so right Deadeggs!
DeleteDear @ Deadeggs,
Deleteyes, this card looks a bit unusual.
Anyway, personally I can see a fil rouge linking the King and Queen' s card and the Waleses' one.
They both could possibily convey a sense of transition from traditional colourful royal Christmas cards to a more modern, relaxed and down to earth concept of the British Monarchy.
That's what I call continuity of this institution and it's surely a different way of adjusting to contemporary social changes and needs.
I see a transition from traditional opulence to a subtly downgraded royal lifestyle.
B/w pics are quite common in nowadays selfies or pics in general, It is a much used device to make them different somehow.
Professional models are often portrayed in b/ w pics as well.
I think that this card has well been conceived and staged before delivering it.
I like It.
But you know P. the original, I love Christmas cards that are 100% kitsch 😁
Delete@ Deadeggs at 20:34
Delete😉
All of you complaining act like you get a vote! Why are you critiquing a Christmas card? Have you forgotten the days when there were ONLY black and white photos? This family, and all the others that will release their cards to the public, have made a decision how they want to remember or represent the year. It's not wrong. It's just not YOUR idea of the perfect Christmas card. They aren't going to do the same card every year. That would be boring. This is probably representative of who they are as a family at home. The "real" Wales. I'm glad to see they are normal people. Feel free to create the perfect Christmas card for your family and get them sent out! That will make you feel better.
ReplyDeleteI doubt very much that this formal and forced grinning photograph taken in a professional studio complete with photo shop is anything like the *real* Wales family. But point taken.
DeleteSome like the photo, some do not. It isn't the end of the world to criticise the anesthetics of it all.
TBH, I never like William and Kate's Christmas cards. I don't find them appealing. But they do have a beautiful family
This photo is not natural or accurate. It has been revealed as photoshopped: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12849759/Kate-Middleton-Christmas-card-Photoshop-fail-Prince-Louis.html
DeleteLela, you are right: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12849759/Kate-Middleton-Christmas-card-Photoshop-fail-Prince-Louis.html
DeleteNothing else than a very nice family picture!
ReplyDeleteMabel
Beautiful portrait. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I love the informal nature of the photograph .... because we all know they could bling it up if they wanted to..... Everyone looks good here, but I am especially drawn to Prince George - he has suddenly grown up. There is an air of assuredness about him that we have not seen before!
ReplyDeleteQuite right!
DeleteMabel
Beautiful picture of a wonderfull happy family, they wanted us to show happy family portret not the usual Christmas card I love it and I am a bit bored with all this let’s be joyful and colorful and wear Christmas pull and all the nicnac of Christmascards
ReplyDeleteThough the family is lovely, vibrant, and wonderful, someone thought they needed to photoshop the photo. The youngest child has a finger missing. Eyes are not in focus, things are just slightly 'off putting' of such a lovely family. Edwina
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one that does not see the alleged photoshop? Prince Louis has two fingers on either side of that armrest with his thumb out of view - his pointing finger is folder inwards, his middle finger pointed outwards. I have a photo of myself in that exact position.
ReplyDeleteAnd those saying The Princess of Wales has a leg missing, I don't see that either, I see her standing with her legs crossed. Why on earth are people picking apart a family photo.
T
Breaking News - Breaking News
ReplyDeleteIt has now been noted that two of the kids have their shoe laces missing.
I need to put the kettle on quick.
@ Deadeggs,
Deleteyou have me in stiches !
You know, when I enter this site and happen to read some comments in particular , I think that human mind is a truly unfathomable mystery!
I have a theory of my own.
Could It be that this pic was intended and staged to give a ' minimalistic or essential vision of the Waleses'?
If so, they must have decided to sweep away anything overkill and they cut also fingers in the process!
And shoe laces were considered as kinda of unnecessary thingies too so they disappeared in the cleared final version.
Kettle needed ASAP 👍😁😉👋
It was in one of the London daily newspapers this morning, (12 Dec.) where a reader noticed that Charlotte and Louis had their shoe laces missing.
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