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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jennifer Newton

Prince William and Kate Middleton share new family photo on their Christmas card

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared the adorable family photo used for their official Christmas card this year - and it's one straight from the holiday album.

Today Kensington Palace released the gorgeous image of Prince William and Kate relaxing on holiday in Jordan earlier this year alongside their young children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The shot, which has a sun-kissed backdrop, sees a beaming Kate and William place a tender hand on each other's knees while George and Charlotte sit either side of their parents. Louis sits cross-legged in front of his mum.

Dressed casually, Kate wears a flowing khaki dress, William looks relaxed in shorts, George opts for a camouflage top, Charlotte dons a blue checked dress while Louis looks cute in a striped polo top.

In a tweet Kensington Palace said: "Delighted to share a new image of the family, which features on this year’s Christmas card."

The 2021 Christmas card from Kate Middleton and Prince William (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Twitter)

The location of the family snap is especially poignant for Kate - she spent a small part of her childhood years in Jordan, where her dad Mike worked for British Airways.

It's unclear when the Cambridges took the trip to the country, but on an official trip to Jordan in 2018, William remarked on how he would love to return with his family.

The snap is in contrast to last year's Christmas card, which showed the family huddled together at Anmer Hall, their Norfolk home.

The picture William and Kate used for their Christmas card last year (KENSINGTON PALACE/AFP via Getty)

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Meanwhile, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have also revealed the photo that will feature on their Christmas cards this year.

The candid snap is a nod to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and shows Charles helping Camilla with her face mask at Royal Ascot earlier this year

The release of the beautiful photos comes after Kate and William got in the Christmas spirit earlier this week as they paid tribute to unsung Covid-19 heroes during a special Christmas carol concert.

Charles and Camilla's Christmas card photo for 2021 (@MajestyMagazine/Twitter)

The event at Westminster Abbey, called Together at Christmas, gathered 1,200 people who helped their communities during the pandemic and it will be screened on ITV on Christmas Eve.

There was a big royal turnout with Sophie Wessex, Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Zara and Mike Tindall also in attendance.

Supporting Kate, who hosted the event, were her parents Carole and Mike, her sister Pippa, brother James and her sister-in-law Alizee.

Popstars Leona Lewis and Ellie Goulding, England footy hero Jordan Henderson and comic Jason Manford also sprinkled festive stardust.

William and Kate at the Together at Christmas concert earlier this week (REUTERS)

And William gave his own star turn by delivering a reading to the audience and was joined by TV host Kate Garraway and Paralympian and doctor Kim Daybell.

Kate, who wore a Catherine Walker coat and sapphire diamond fringed earrings on loan from the Queen, wrote a foreword in the Abbey's order of service.

She said: "Christmas is a time when we can reflect on the past, listen to one another, focus on the relationships that nurture us and build our resilience, so we can look forward to a shared brighter future.

"My hope is that this service creates a moment for us to do this together."

The Cambridges are believed to be spending Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, it is expected that the Cambridges will spend Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen, who reportedly may make a public appearance for the first time since early autumn, while hosting her family.

The monarch and husband Prince Philip spent last Christmas alone as they shielded at Windsor Castle and it turned out to be their final festive season together, as the duke died aged 99 in April.

But it appears the Covid pandemic will not force the Queen, 95, to cancel her usual family gathering for a second year in a row.

Other Christmas guests will include Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Her youngest son Prince Edward, his wife Sophie and their children, Louise and James have also confirmed their attendance. Princess Anne and her children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall are expected to attend.

And the invitation has been extended to Princesses Beatrice, her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi and their newborn daughter Sienna, and to Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their baby son August.

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