The Royal Family, much like the rest of us, have finished celebrating Christmas and the new year, and as such they’re now returning to everyday life. For Princess Charlotte and her siblings, that means heading back to school, though it turns out she might also have some other essential objectives to attend to.
Before Christmas, via their official Instagram account, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a newly-taken photo of their family for their annual Christmas card. Just days later, royal fans got another surprise when a new picture containing only Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis was released, with the three royal siblings seen sitting together, smiling at the camera.
For some fans, though, the picture of the royal children wasn’t just a cute keepsake. Some people online are now claiming to have figured something out about Princess Charlotte which might be of greater significance than we think.
Like everyone else, the royal children earned a well-deserved break from school for the Christmas period. We all have different Christmas traditions, and one of the newest in the royal sphere occurred at the beginning of December.
For the third year in a row, Kate Middleton hosted the exceptional carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 8, which then aired again on TV on Christmas Eve.
Kate’s Christmas carol service
“The service will be a moment to thank all those who work to support babies, young children, and families in our communities across the UK and a celebration of the golden opportunity that the birth of a new baby brings,” the Palace announced a month ago.
Kate played the piano for the carol service two years ago. According to PR expert Andrew Bloch, the fact that the Princess of Wales is hosting the festive carol service will make her even more popular and help to strengthen her position as future queen.
“What Kate has done brilliantly is elevating her status and position within the broader royal family brand. Having a slot on Christmas Eve, it’s evidence of her appeal,” he told Mirror.
“If ITV didn’t think there would be any audience interest in that, they wouldn’t give her that slot, which is a prime time slot over the Christmas period. Not necessarily consciously a power move, but she is positioning herself as a key member of the royal family and developing a brand in her own right.”
Andrew Bloch added: “Through her activities over the course of the last few years, she’s really started to win a place in the nation’s hearts. We’ve got to know her, not just as Prince William’s wife but as the Princess of Wales and as a personality in her own right.”
The “Together at Christmas” carol service event at Westminster Abbey went swimmingly. Naturally, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were all there, along with their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.
They got to see singers Beverley Knight and Adam Lamberg perform, while the royal children showed their empathetic side during the course of the night.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis spent Christmas at Sandringham
In a special card box, as reported by the Mirror, George, Charlotte, and Lous posted unique Christmas cards on which they had written messages to children who might be struggling with Christmas.
So what do the royals do for Christmas day? Upon waking up after having a formal dinner on Christmas Eve, often including Norfolk shrimp and lamb, the Royal Family is said to enjoy a classic English breakfast of eggs, sausages, bacon, and beans.
Then, after the traditional visit to St Mary Magdalene Church, they eat a Christmas lunch, the main course of which is a roast turkey.
At 3 p.m., the Royal Family sits down to watch the annual Christmas speech on television – Queen Elizabeth’s annual speech was a highlight for many. This year marked King Charles’ second time doing the speech. In the address, he spoke of faith and compassion and thanked the “selfless army” of volunteers.
“Over this past year, my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another – going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do: at work and at home; within and across communities,” Charles said in his Christmas speech.
“My wife and I were delighted when hundreds of representatives of that selfless army of people – volunteers who serve their communities in so many ways and with such distinction – were able to join us in Westminster Abbey for the coronation earlier this year.”
He added: “They are an essential backbone of our society. Their presence meant so much to us both and emphasized the meaning of coronation itself: above all, a call to us all to serve one another, to love and care for all.”
King Charles wish “peace on Earth and goodwill to all” in Christmas speech
Moreover, Charles brought up the subject of the many bloody conflicts worldwide, saying that he was hoping for peace.
“At a time of increasingly tragic conflict around the world, I pray that we can also do all in our power to protect each other. The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you. Such values are universal, drawing together our Abrahamic family of religions and other belief systems across the Commonwealth and wider world,” he said.
“They remind us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our neighbors and to seek their good as we would our own. So on this Christmas Day, my heart and my thanks go to all who are serving one another; all who are caring for our common home; and all who see and seek the good of others, not least the friend we do not yet know. In this way, we bring out the best in ourselves. I wish you a Christmas of ‘peace on Earth and goodwill to all’, today and always.”
The Royal Family has many unique traditions that have been around for decades, including rules surrounding etiquette and appropriate behavior.
Speaking to The Sun, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams revealed many traditions the family follow at Christmas.
For example, simply arriving at Sandringham is not just a matter of driving up to the gate when one happens to get there want to. No, apparently knowing what order in which to arrive is essential.
“The royals usually arrive the day before Christmas, and they arrive in order of seniority. The least important members arrive first,” Fitzwilliams told The Sun.
The traditional royal Christmas cards
Another tradition is, of course, the yearly Christmas card shared with the public. This year, the photo of William, Kate, George, Charlotte, and Louis was black and white and had no festive background or ornate settings.
“Our family Christmas card for 2023,” the caption read.
William and Kate chose the simple black-and-white picture without any decorations in the background. According to a palace insider, this is a clear message about how they want to give their children some normality.
“Those children look pretty happy with life,” the palace insider told People Magazine earlier this year. “A lot of it is the stabilizing normality Kate brings — and that’s how she grew up. William absolutely loves it.”
“Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time,” a source close to the royal household added. “She wasn’t brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day.”
This year, photographer Josh Shinner photographed the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children for their annual Christmas card.
The theme of normality was something he also noticed, as he described in a post on his Instagram page.
“It was such a pleasure to photograph The Prince and Princess of Wales and their family for the Christmas portrait this year,” Shinner shared on his Instagram page. “Without doubt one of the most relaxed and enjoyable sittings I’ve ever had, and I now have a whole new set of jokes that are right on my level thanks to the children…”
Fans gushes over Princess Charlotte in new Christmas photo
He shared that he didn’t want to disclose what jokes the children made. But we can only imagine they have great humor, just like their parents.
Shinner didn’t only get the opportunity to take the official Christmas card of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their family. Moreover, he took several other pictures, and one included just the three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The photo, also in black and white, saw the three siblings sitting on a bench, with Princess Charlotte having her arms around her brothers.
George and Charlotte are seen smiling at the camera while Louis looks across. The message read, “Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! W & C.”
While many royal fans were delighted by the surprise picture on Christmas, there were quite a few who had noticed an extraordinary thing about it. According to some, it appeared that one of the siblings is the “boss,” and that is Charlotte.
“Wonderful photo of the young princes and princess. Merry Christmas to you all, your Royal Highnesses,” one user wrote on X, formally known as Twitter, as reported by Express.
Another added: “What a beautiful child! You can see that Princess Charlotte is going to be the glue that will keep the brothers together.”
A third commented: “Aww what a beautiful picture and surprise!!! Thank you so much. Merry Christmas to the entire Wales family! We all love you very much.”
“It’s so easy to see who is in charge of this sibling group”
It’s not only royal fans who’ve noticed how Princess Charlotte seems to take the reins at home with her siblings. Speaking to The Sun, body language expert Judi James states it’s very noticeable that she’s “in charge.”
“It’s so easy to see who is in charge of this sibling group,” she said. “Sitting in the middle of the pose between her two brothers, Charlotte sits splayed in signal of confidence.”
Judi James continued: “With an arm round each brother, suggesting she sees herself as not only in charge when necessary but also in the role of protector. Her body language role mirrors both her mother here, but also Princess Anne in the look of perhaps being the strongest and most grounded member of the sibling group.”
Moreover, the body language expert explained that Princess Charlotte’s big smile suggests she is very proud of her two brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis, while the positioning of her feet on the ground suggests that she’s determined and confident.
“Louis leans in show his affection and respect for his big sister. That one swinging leg between them suggests he also sees her as a playmate,” the body language expert added when speaking to The Sun.
“George is increasingly the grown-up in the trio: his torso is a little more distanced but his body language has the most symmetry. His smile is even, and his legs are splayed, showing he is increasing in confidence as he gets older.”
If you enjoyed this article, perhaps you’d be interested in reading why royal fans are lifting their eyebrows about the latest pictures of Prince George.
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