The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Release Their 2022 Christmas Card Photo

On Tuesday night, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released their official Christmas card photo for 2022.

The photograph was taken earlier this year on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and features Prince William and his wife Catherine walking hand in hand with their children, all dressed in summer clothes.

The family has consistently chosen to publish photos taken earlier in the year, frequently in the summer or fall, rather than utilising manufactured holiday photos.

According to marketing and cultural expert Nick Ede, who was quoted in the Daily Mail, keeping the holiday cards basic ensures that they appear authentic and natural, as opposed to formal photographs which might appear contrived.

The Wales' informal family Christmas card photo isn't very festive in style, but it fits with their new aesthetic of showcasing real family experiences, rather than staged holiday photo shots, according to Nick.

For the newly released photo, George, aged nine, looked dapper in his Ralph Lauren polo shirt, which cost his parents £55.

Princess Charlotte, eight years old, was seen in a blue denim play suit by the Spanish label Zafera that was embroidered with strawberries and red pom-poms and reportedly cost £17.

Additionally, Katherine displayed her support for eco-friendly style by recycling many items from her closet, including a £255 top by MIH Jeans, £18 Orlea hoop earrings and £59 Supergear white trainers.

The family chose a photo from their secret trip to Jordan the year before, which featured William in shorts, the kids in their summer attire, and Katherine's sun-kissed skin and long shiny hair.

The family decided on an autumn photo in 2020, when the globe was still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, with the parents and kids all snuggled up in sweaters in front of a stack of newly cut logs of wood.

Expert in body language, Judy James, commented at the time that the family's photo, which was sent to the NHS, demonstrated their strong sense of unity.

Prince George's smile, she claimed, revealed his shyness and special bond with his father, while Katherine's arm around daughter Charlotte's waist offered a gesture of inclusion and protection.

In 2019, Prince Louis stole the show in the family's family snap, which also depicted a summery scene.

In the adorable snap, posted by Air Commodore Dawn McAufrey CBE RAFR on Twitter, Katherine, then 37, could be seen holding onto the handlebars of a vintage khaki-coloured motorbike, while husband Prince William, also 37 then, sat on the seat with a bemused Prince Louis, one on his lap.

Meanwhile, big sister Princess Charlotte, then four, was photographed standing in the sidecar next to them, while Prince George, then six, clad in a pair of red and blue chequer shorts, appeared to be rubbing his ear at the back of the shot.

The social media post also showed the message inside the card which reads, Wishing you a happy Christmas and New Year, and was signed in black pen by Katherine.

The inclusion of the vintage motorcycle, which appears to be a Rickman Matisse, may well have been Prince William's idea, as the Duke is a huge motorbike fan.

In 2018, their picture shared the same year had more of an autumnal feel, with the family standing together in their leafy garden with baby Louis, who was only a few months old at the time, carefully nested in his mother's arms.

The 2017 family was slightly more formal and was one of the family's rare snaps taken in a studio.

It showed William and Katherine standing side by side, her in a pastel blue outfit and him in a navy blue suit.

The previous year, William and Katherine opted to share a snap taken on their tour of Canada and showed them carrying one of their children each during an engagement.

Princess Charlotte, then a toddler, stood out in a lovely blue dress and a mop of blonde curls with a dog made of balloons her mother was holding for her.

Prince George, who was wearing a blue sweater and red shorts, looked attentively at what was happening around him.

Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, and a lovely family portrait was taken in their garden that year.

Baby Charlotte was tucked safely into Katherine's arm and grinning from ear to ear as big brother offered the camera a wide grin.

In addition, in 2013, Prince George, who was then only a child, was the focus of a charming photograph in which he examines a butterfly perched on Prince William's hand.

William and Katherine's first public photos together as a married couple and new parents were significantly less intimate.

They released a photo from their Canada Day celebration in Ottawa in 2011, the year they tied the knot.

Katherine wore a white frock with a red flower pinned to the chest, while Prince William sat by her side looking very young in the July photo.

As young parents in 2012, they proudly displayed an official photograph from Prince George's October 2012 baptism.

In conclusion, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have consistently chosen to showcase their family experiences through their Christmas card photos, rather than staged holiday photo shots.

The newly released photo for 2022 is no exception, featuring the family in summer attire, displaying genuine smiles and joy.

The family's choice of keeping the cards basic ensures that they appear authentic and natural, which is in line with their new aesthetic.