Kate Middleton and Prince William’s annual Christmas card appears to suffer from a Photoshop error that leaves Louis without a middle finger
The Christmas portrait of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children appears to have suffered a Photoshop error.
Prince William and Kate, both 41, released an informal family portrait this weekend with their children in matching white shirts, which will appear on the front of their Christmas card this year.
The monochrome image shows the royal couple smiling next to their sons Prince George, 10, Prince Louis, five, and Princess Charlotte, eight, who sits in a chair at the front of the group, with Louis’ hand on his arm.
But in an apparent editing error, the young prince appears to be missing the middle finger of his left hand.
Now social media users have noticed the error – and some have discovered even more inconsistencies.
The annual Christmas card image of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, appears to have a Photoshop error
The error seemingly went unnoticed by the Wales family as it was released to the masses over the weekend via their official X account, formerly called Twitter.
Likewise, the thousands of royal fans who praised the intimate family portrait also failed to acknowledge the mistake.
However, eagle-eyed onlookers have taken to X, formerly called Twitter, after spotting the error. One wondered: ‘What happened to Louis’ middle finger?’
A second added: “Forget the missing shoelaces, I’m more concerned about Louis’ missing finger.”
A third wrote: ‘Louis is missing a finger; this has got to be the worst photoshopped photo ever.”
Another said: ‘Louis is missing a finger and Charlotte’s left hand looks too long.’
A fifth added: ‘Although it’s a lovely family photo, I saw Louis’ hand as soon as I looked at it. He’s missing a finger. That made me look closer. His right leg looks swollen. Where’s William’s thigh? Where’s Kate’s other foot?’
The image, taken by Josh Shinner, shows the three men and boys dressed in matching plain shirts – George opts for a Ralph Lauren Polo number – and dark trousers, while Kate and Charlotte have swapped the trousers for jeans.
The image, taken by Josh Shinner, appears to be missing one element: Prince Louis’ middle finger
Eagle-eyed royal fans took to X after spotting the editing error that left Prince Louis without a middle finger
The King and Queen have now opted for a coronation photo taken at Buckingham Palace to enhance their festive card, which will be sent to friends, family and colleagues.
The formal photo, which shows Charles and Camilla in the palace’s throne room after the ceremony in May, was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand, who captured the couple side by side.
Charles wears the Imperial State Crown, while Camilla wears Queen Mary’s Crown; the king is also depicted wearing a coronation tunic and the robes of the estate.
The robe is made of purple silk velvet and is embroidered in gold. It was worn by King George VI in 1937.
The King and Queen’s Christmas card is a much more formal affair, showing Charles and Camilla at Buckingham Palace shortly after the coronation in May
The Queen wears her estate dress, made by Ede and Ravenscroft and designed and hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. She also wears her coronation dress, designed by Bruce Oldfield.
It is the couple’s second Christmas card since Charles became king last year, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2002.
The first card of his reign depicted the King and Queen at the Braemar Games in Scotland on September 3, five days before his mother’s death, when he was still the Prince of Wales.
William, Kate and their children were photographed in Windsor earlier this year by acclaimed photographer Josh Shinner.
This year’s card, while less formal than the King’s, shows more restraint than some of their previously released seasonal greetings.
The photo was one of many taken on the day of the coronation of the King and Queen in full royal regalia (photo: another photo from the series of photos)
William and Kate’s first card as Prince and Princess of Wales was a relaxed affair – showed the couple with George, Charlotte and Louis, all in trainers, taking a stroll through Sandringham Estate, Norfolk.
The photo was taken by one of their favorite and most trusted photographers, Matt Porteous, and showed a relaxed Kate in jeans, a broderie anglaise shirt and Superga pumps.
William and George wore Ralph Lauren shirts and polo shirts, and while the Prince of Wales opted for jeans, both George and Louis were dressed in chino shorts. Charlotte wore a denim playsuit with strawberry decorations.
Previous cards issued during their tenure as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also been relaxed and often colorful affairs, such as their 2018 card of them sitting on a tree trunk at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
It also continues a tradition of relaxed festive greetings by the Prince of Wales – cards issued by Charles and Diana were also informal affairs.
With its subtle background, this year’s card bears a remarkable resemblance to the one issued by Charles and Diana in 1984 – complete with a cheeky Prince William and a little Prince Harry, who was born in September that year.
Charles and Camilla’s coronation and deeply religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey earlier this year were followed by a weekend of festivities.
The couple went to the palace balcony to view the crowd, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and the coronation pages and ladies in attendance.
The event brought together approximately 100 heads of state, kings and queens from around the world, celebrities, everyday heroes and family and friends of the couple.