Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2022 Christmas card: The kids are all grown up

Prince William and Kate Middleton have shared their 2022 Christmas card and it’s a throwback to warmer days.

The photograph, taken by royal portrait photographer Matt Porteous, shows the Prince and Princess of Wales walking hand-in-hand with kids Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, while on summer vacation in Norfolk, England.

There’s nary a knee sock or pantyhose in sight in the laid-back portrait, as all of the family members are dressed down, sporting sneakers and — by royal standards — casual clothing.

Kensington Palace tweeted the picture on Tuesday with a Christmas tree emoji and the message: “Sharing a new picture of the family for this year’s Christmas card!”

Objectively, it’s a pretty great photo as far as a family portrait with young kids is concerned. Four out of five are smiling directly into the camera, with only William looking away. The children are positioned from oldest to youngest, giving a stair-step effect, and the kids are in perfect stride. Any parent knows this photo is Christmas card gold.

Also remarkable is how much the royal kids have grown. George is almost up to his dad’s shoulder, Charlotte is looking less like a little girl and more like a young lady, and even little Louis is looking much more mature.

The card is in keeping with recent years’ Christmas card photos released by the royal couple, where the family presents a glimpse into their off-duty lives.

The family image was released less than 48 hours before the final three episodes of Neflix’s Harry & Meghan documentary hit the streaming service.

It also comes a few days after King Charles III issued the first official Christmas card of his reign.

The photo, chosen by Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, was taken by Sam Hussein at the Braemar Games in Scotland on Sept. 3, just five days before the death of Queen Elizabeth.

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