The Prince and Princess of Wales’ Christmas card shows they are the ‘youthful future of the royal family’, an expert has said.

While William, 41, and Kate, also 41, show them as approachable in a relaxed black and white portrait, the king and queen’s coronation photo shows the ‘crowning moment of their lives’.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are keen to portray themselves as philanthropists, while Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie portray themselves as “hardworking.”

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam said the images featured show what each individual royal family ‘wants to be associated with during a given year’.

‘We can see what I want to emphasize that family is extremely important. During the festive season, there is particular interest in the various cards sent by members of the Royal Family,” he said.

‘Each card is chosen with great care and its meaning is analyzed by royal guards. They bring a lot of joy to the recipients.”

KING CHARLES AND QUEEN CAMILLA

The King and Queen 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 Queen wears her robes, 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 second Christmas card for the couple since Charles became king last year, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2002.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Mr Fitzwilliam explained: ‘Image is crucial to the Royal Family and Christmas cards, which will be distributed globally, are an important projection of this.

‘The card of the King and Queen shows them after the coronation because this is a culmination of their lives and has enormous symbolic significance.

‘This fits very well with this pivotal year.

‘Last year the photo was of the Braemar Games, taken just before the Queen’s death.

“The King and Queen will likely choose images that reflect their status, as they have done. The coronation was a unique event.’

PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES

Prince William and Kate Middleton released an intimate and relaxed family portrait with their three children in matching white shirts, which will appear on the front of their Christmas card this year.

The black and white photo chosen by the Prince and Princess of Wales shows the couple smiling next to their sons Prince George, 10, Prince Louis, five, and Princess Charlotte, eight, who is sitting in a chair at the front of the group.

The three men and boys are 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 card has been mocked for a photo shop gone wrong, after Louis and Kate’s finger appear to be missing from their leg.

But Mr Fitzwilliam says these comments are unlikely to ‘diminish the enthusiasm of recipients’.

‘The Waleses card, like last year, includes a striking family photo taken by Josh Shinner.

‘They are carefully posed, their clothing is smart casual, it is a cheerful family group portrait but one with a special cachet.

‘It is made all the more important by the fact that this family represents the future of the thousand-year-old monarchy, as only four working royals are currently under 70.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their family Christmas card for this year and wished everyone happy holidays.

The Duke and Duchess used a photo of themselves clapping and thanking their fans for “all the support in 2023” in the professional online greeting from their non-profit organization, the Archewell Foundation.

The release of the chic card came just hours after the prince won £140,000 from the publisher of the Mirror after the High Court ruled he was the victim of phone hacking.

The couple can be seen beaming during the closing ceremony of the Invicitus Games that took place in Düsseldorf, Germany in September. Their children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, were not present.

The image paints them as philanthropists, Mr Fitzwilliam says, a portrait they are keen to promote.

‘Harry and Meghan have an image praising their philanthropic work with an image of the Invictus Games.

‘It specifically excludes Archie and Lilibet, their children. However, it does include a link to their Archewell Foundation impact report, although the results in this year’s accounts were decidedly disappointing.

“It’s a powerful image, but does it represent the reality of their status in Hollywood right now?”

Duke and Duchess of EDINBURGH

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh put themselves center stage with their Christmas card, which underlines their solid status within ‘the Firm’.

Eden Confidential’s exclusive photo of the card – the main photo – taken in March, shows a smiling Prince Edward and his wife Sophie enjoying a performance by the Ukrainian Choir in the city of Edinburgh on the day they received new titles. .

The back of the card, captioned ‘If we could talk to the animals’, shows Prince Edward, 59, a keen equestrian, meeting a Clydesdale horse in Garvagh, Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, Sophie, 58, is seen taking part in a puppy class at the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Training Center in Reading.

The card is decorated with their ES monogram and includes a simple seasonal greeting: ‘Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Edward, Sophie, Louise and James’.

Mr Fitzwilliam said: ‘Edward and Sophie use a quirky, artistic photo taken on the day they became Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh watching a Ukrainian choir perform in Edinburgh.

‘So there are connections with the war in Ukraine. The greetings on the card also include those from their children.

‘The aim of the card is to reinforce their status as reliable, hard-working royals and it succeeds admirably.