For fans of all things monarchial, a royal portrait release is an exciting time. Any Windsor family moment is a fascinating one, and royal children snapshots always promote a frenzy—of George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie, and Lilibet—since they aren’t seen at events quite as often as their parents. One we particularly look forward to every year? The Wales’s family Christmas portrait.
This latest picture, released by Kensington Palace, captures William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at their grounds in Norfolk. The photograph was taken back in April by photographer Josh Shinner. (The same photographer who captured the family’s first official Christmas card snap in 2023.) The smiley quintet sit on the grass among daffodils—a fitting tribute within the tableau, as the flower is the national emblem for Wales. We see seven-year-old Louis, the third and youngest child with his adorable tooth-gap grin, 10-year-old Charlotte hugging her father close, and 12-year-old George looking every bit of a young William, Kate’s arm encircling him. The family coordinate in bottle-green sweaters and denim, while Kate wears a brown knit and checked skirt.
“Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas,” the caption on the official Instagram account for the Prince and Princess of Wales reads. The picture appears to be from the same photoshoot for George’s 12th birthday in July and Louis’s seventh birthday back in April, as well as a photo of William with the children, which was released on Father’s Day.
The three Wales children are photographed for major milestones they experience along the year, whether it be for their birthday festivities or christening. The photos are often taken by mother, Kate Middleton herself, though a variety of photographers like Shinner capture these full family moments.
Other portraits over the years have captured the royal children welcoming their new siblings home or slipping on their backpacks for their first day at nursery or school. The family’s yearly Christmas card is a not-to-be-missed event, and always ranges in setting and style. 2020 saw the Wales family in countryside casual, posed in front of a log pile. In 2024, a poignant still from the personal video Kate released upon completing chemotherapy was their choice of Christmas greeting.
Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped down from royal life, they still share some details about their children. For Archie’s first birthday, they posted an Instagram video of the Duchess reading to their baby son, to raise awareness for charity.
Below, see all of the children’s portraits over the years.
Photo: Josh Shinner1/65The Wales family Christmas card, 2025.
Photo: Josh Shinner / Courtesy of Kensington Palace2/65Prince George’s 12th birthday portrait.
Photo: Josh Shinner3/65Prince Louis’s 7th birthday portrait.
Photo: By the Princess of Wales5/65Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis take an active family portrait to celebrate William’s 42nd birthday.
Courtesy of the Prince and Princess of Wales6/65Prince Louis’s 6th birthday portrait.
Photo: The Princess of Wales7/65Princess Charlotte’s 9th birthday portrait, taken by the Princess of Wales.
Photo: PA / Millie Pilkington8/65The Prince and Princess of Wales released this portrait of Prince George, taken in Windsor by Millie Pilkington, to mark his 10th birthday on 22 July 2023.
Photo: Misan Harriman9/65The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, on her first birthday.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace10/65Princess Charlotte poses with Cambridge’s family dog, Orla, for her seventh birthday.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace11/65Prince Louis’s fourth birthday portrait.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace12/65Princess Charlotte holding a butterfly for the U.K.’s Butterfly Count Initiative, 2021.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace13/65Prince George’s eighth birthday portrait, 2021.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace14/65Princess Charlotte’s sixth birthday portrait, 2021
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace15/65Prince Louis’s third birthday portrait, 2021.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace16/65The Cambridge family Christmas card, 2021.
Photo: Courtesy of Kensington Palace17/65The Cambridge family with Sir David Attenborough in September 2020.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace18/65Prince George’s seventh birthday portrait, 2020.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace19/65Prince George’s seventh birthday portrait, 2020.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace20/65Princess Charlotte’s fifth birthday portrait, 2020.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace21/65Taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlotte’s fifth birthday portraits show her delivering food to neighbors in need.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace22/65Charlotte’s fifth birthday portraits, taken in spring 2020.
Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace23/65Charlotte’s fifth birthday portraits, taken in spring 2020.
Photo: Courtesy of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex24/65The Duchess of Sussex reads to her son, Archie. This Instagram video marked his first birthday and also raised awareness for charity.
Photo: Courtesy of Kensington Palace25/65Prince Louis’s second birthday portraits. Taken in spring 2020.
Photo: Courtesy of Kensington Palace26/65In his second birthday portraits, Louis is shown finger-painting rainbows. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children across the U.K. did so to support N.H.S workers.
Photo: Courtesy of Kensington Palace27/65Prince Louis’s second birthday portraits, taken in spring 2020.
Photo: Courtesy of Kensington Palace28/65On social media, Kensington Palace shared this photograph with the caption “Instagram vs reality.”
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace29/65Prince George’s sixth birthday portrait, 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace30/65Prince George’s sixth birthday portrait, 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace31/65Prince George’s sixth birthday portrait, 2019.
Photo: Chris Allerton / Courtesy of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex32/65Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s christening, July 6, 2019.
Photo: Chris Allerton / Courtesy of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex33/65Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s christening, July 6, 2019.
Photo: Courtesy of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex34/65Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, June 2019.
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Photo: Chris Allerton / Courtesy of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex36/65Archie meets Queen Elizabeth, May 2019.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace37/65Prince Louis at the Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, May 2019.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace38/65Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, May 2019.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace39/65Prince Louis and Prince William at the Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, May 2019.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace40/65Prince Louis and Kate Middleton at the Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, May 2019.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace41/65Princess Charlotte at the Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, May 2019.
Photo: Courtesy of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex42/65Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, May 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace43/65Princess Charlotte’s fourth birthday, 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace.44/65Princess Charlotte’s fourth birthday, 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace45/65Princess Charlotte’s fourth birthday, 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace46/65Prince Louis’s first birthday, 2019.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace47/65Prince Louis’s first birthday, 2019.
Photo: Alex Bramall / Courtesy of Kensington Palace48/65Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Princess Eugenie’s wedding, 2018.
Photo: Alexi Lubomirski / Courtesy of Kensington Palace49/65Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding, 2018.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace50/65Princess Charlotte’s first day of nursery, 2018.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace51/65Prince George’s fifth birthday, 2018.
Photo: Matt Holyoak / Courtesy of Kensington Palace52/65Prince Louis’s christening, 2018.
Photo: Matt Holyoak / Courtesy of Kensington Palace53/65At Prince Louis’s christening, 2018.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace54/65Prince Louis’s homecoming with Princess Charlotte, 2018.
Photo: Chris Jackson / Courtesy of Kensington Palace55/65The Cambridge family’s 2017 Christmas card.
Photo: Chris Jackson / Courtesy of Kensington Palace56/65Prince George’s first day of school, 2017.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace57/65Princess Charlotte’s second birthday, 2017.
Photo: Chris Jackson / Courtesy of Kensington Palace58/65Prince George’s fourth birthday, 2017.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace59/65Princess Charlotte’s first birthday, 2016.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace60/65Prince George’s third birthday, 2016.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace61/65Prince George’s third birthday, 2016.
Photo: Matt Porteous / Courtesy of Kensington Palace62/65Prince George’s third birthday, 2016.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace63/65Prince George’s first day of nursery, 2016.
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge / Courtesy of Kensington Palace64/65Princess Charlotte’s homecoming with Prince George, 2015.
Photo: Chris Jelf / Courtesy of Kensington Palace65/65The Cambridge family’s Christmas card, 2015
