Sharp-eyed observers of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2024 Christmas card have been left pondering one significant question.
Noticing an emotional detail in the holiday photo, numerous people took to social media to express their opinions on the matter.
Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas 🎄 pic.twitter.com/pL3t13sTlu
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 19, 2024
For those who haven’t seen it yet, the Wales family shared their Christmas card this year in the form of a GIF, marking a significant departure from royal tradition. The loop was posted on Kensington Palace’s official X account.
The GIF features snow falling in front of a digitally created Christmas card, which includes a photo of William and Kate with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
However, the image chosen for this holiday greeting has sparked some controversy, with a few viewers claiming they’ve seen it before.
It is believed that the photo was taken on the same day a video was recorded in September, in which Kate, the 42-year-old Princess, revealed she had completed her recent round of chemotherapy.
Kate first disclosed her health scare in March after staying out of the public eye for several weeks. While she has not yet shared the type of cancer she was diagnosed with, she has openly discussed her journey.
In September, Kate shared an emotional video with her husband and children, where she revealed that she was “cancer-free.” She expressed, “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we’ve had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
Recently, some observant recipients of her Christmas card noticed that Kate seemed to be wearing the same outfit as in the September video, leading to the assumption that the image is not a recent one.
One person on X commented, “This is not new but I guess that’s okay as long as she’s healthy.” Another user pointed out, “The Prince and Princess of Wales have used a still from their September film shot by Will Warr for their Christmas card. The footage was shot in Norfolk in August and released to mark the announcement that Kate had finished her chemotherapy treatment.”
A third observer speculated, “They are bringing it out now to try to cover up his absence at the Buckingham Palace lunch…” referring to the news that William and Kate will not be attending the annual festive lunch with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The message attached to William and Kate’s card says: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”
This comes just days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent out their own Christmas e-card, which sparked significant online debate.
Some criticized the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for potentially using AI to create their Christmas collage, which was shared with Archewell Foundation subscribers, while others suggested they might have used body doubles for their children in one particular photo.
A royal expert also claimed the couple violated royal tradition by not including a single photograph.
As a result, people are eager to see how royal commentators will react to William and Kate’s animated card…