William & Kate's Tradition-Breaking Christmas Card Subtly One-Ups Harry & Meghan
Though they won't be the only royal family rejects absent from this year's Christmas celebrations, given that the disgraced Prince Andrew declined his invite after King Charles III unsubtly hinted that he wasn't welcome, it's still hard to ignore that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were axed from Christmas yet again. While they've made other arrangements in lieu of their family's plans and are still engaging in other royal traditions like distributing their annual Christmas cards, their attempt to fulfill another of their royal holiday responsibilities was noticeably overshadowed by the efforts of another royal couple.
As if to pour salt into what was already a very open wound, William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, seemingly one-upped Harry and Meghan with a Christmas card that defies traditional royal customs. Rather than print and deliver physical cards, William and Kate's Christmas message was produced digitally. On their official Instagram page, the couple revealed the card, which shows them, along with their children, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte, huddled together as a family. "Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas," they wrote. Their message echoes the relatively simple holiday greeting on the card, which reads: "Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year." Though the card and its greeting are meant to convey gestures of goodwill and holiday cheer all around, it also subtly shows off with its flashy presentation and nontraditional creation and delivery.
Harry and Meghan's card is very traditional
For over a century, it's been a cherished tradition for members of the royal family to send out Christmas cards, not just to close friends and family members, but to organizations, charities and other professional figures and entities they're connected to. In 2024, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took a traditional approach with their card, opting for a more formal presentation compared to Prince William and Kate Middleton's virtual card. "On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year," the card reads (per People). They also reportedly distributed a secret second card dedicated only to their family and close friends.
If there's any aspect of the card Harry and Meghan might have gotten the upper hand in, it's the fact it includes multiple pictures of the couple and their family at various points throughout the year, rather than one image. It also contains surprise appearances from their kids, Archie and Lilibet, who were missing on past cards.
People are loving William and Kate's non-traditional card
With the advent of social media in more recent decades, the royal Christmas card operation has expanded to include the masses in an even wider capacity. Thus, it seems like a natural progression for Prince William and Kate Middleton to switch things up and turn to a completely digital card that not only can be easily distributed, but also has the benefit of features physical cards can't compete with, like snowy special effects and twinkling Christmas lights in the background. While Harry and Meghan's 2024 effort still bears the sweet, time-honored stamp of past royal Christmas cards, it lacks the innovation and unique flair of William and Kate, who chose a less formal, more intimate option, rather than going through the motions with it for yet another year.
Though it defies royal tradition, some X, formerly known as Twitter, users still appreciated it for its presentation and wholesome depiction of William and Kate's family. "What a beautiful family Christmas card," one user wrote. Others took notice of the obvious love they showed for each other in the picture they used for the card. "A beautiful photo of a very loving family," another user wrote. "It oozes love from all of them for each other."