King Charles and Queen Camilla continue the tradition of royal holidays during a particularly royal year.
On Saturday, the king (75) and queen (76) published the photo they chose for this year’s holiday card. This year they chose a portrait by photographer Hugo Burnand taken in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace after their coronation on May 6.
“We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” reads the caption.
Burnand stepped behind the camera for the historic official portraits taken after the coronation ceremony of King Charles and Queen Camilla after previously serving as the couple’s wedding photographer in 2005. (He was chosen again by the royal family six years later to shoot the official portraits of Prince William and Kate Middleton on their wedding day weddings in 2011)
See the royal family’s holiday greetings through the years
Last year, the couple chose a candid photo of a smiling Charles as Camilla looks at him lovingly in the season’s greeting. The photograph was taken by royal photographer Samir Hussein at the Braemar Games, a special exhibition of Scottish heritage and their traditional games held each year in the Scottish Highlands, in early September, just days before Queen Elizabeth’s death.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have changed their photo choices over the years. In 2021, then-Prince Charles and Camilla opted for another candid photo that reflected the precautions people were taking amid the COVID pandemic, with Charles wearing a mask and helping his wife put on a face covering during Royal Ascot. The couple chose a casual photo of themselves in the colorful gardens of Birkhall, Scotland in 2020. In 2019, they opted for a photo from one of their most exciting royal duties of the year: a visit to Havana, Cuba.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to receive the latest news on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Every Christmas, the royal family goes to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene for mass, followed by a greeting to well-wishers. They then return to Sandringham to enjoy a traditional holiday feast – and this year they are expected to be joined by Queen Camilla’s family for the first time. According to ITV royal editor Chris Ship, Camilla’s children — Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes — and other members of the Queen’s family will attend the lunch this year.
In past years, Queen Camilla has left the royal family’s Christmas gathering in the afternoon to spend the holidays with her children and grandchildren.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education