The Wales family’s 2023 Christmas card is a disaster. Even the British papers were making fun of it, from pointing out the bizarre Photoshop fails to being very shady about Kate’s attempts to copy a certain someone’s “California cool” vibe. People online mocked it as dated and looking like it came from a mall studio in the 1980s. What I will never really understand is… why is it so difficult for William and Kate to do something seasonal? Stand in front of a Christmas tree, or wear cute Christmas sweaters or go back to posing in front of wood. Well, according to Us Weekly’s sources, Will and Kate are “embarrassed” that this year’s card landed so poorly.
Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton aren’t happy that their holiday card is making headlines for the wrong reasons.
William and Kate, both 41, are “embarrassed” that people think their holiday card was heavily edited, an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly, adding that the couple “were as shocked as everyone else” by the reaction to the snap.
The couple unveiled their family’s portrait on Saturday, December 9, via Instagram. The black-and-white photo features William and Kate posing alongside their three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8 and Prince Louis, 5. The group donned matching button-down shirts with jeans and smiled for the camera. After the image was shared, thousands of social media users flocked to the comments to point out perceived problems in the image.
“There’s an extra leg in this picture!!!! How did the photographer not notice?? Omg 😱,” wrote one Instagram user. Another commenter replied, “Anyone talking about why Prince Louis is just missing a finger?!?”
In the photo, Louis stands in front of his father and rests his arm on a chair while Charlotte sits front and center. As Louis’ left hand holds the armrest, his fingers are spread very wide, making it appear that he is missing a finger.
Will and Kate “were as shocked as everyone else”…? Honey, you chose the image!! I’m sure there were several photos taken and all of the gopher’s horses and all of the gopher’s men tried to “fix” the image and the result was a huge fail. They still released it, believing that everyone would praise them no matter what. Surely that’s more embarrassing – that they knew that the image was funky but they’re so used to being cosseted and coddled, they never expected to be called out.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Josh Shinner/KP.
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- A still of Catherine, Princess of Wales, from the Royal Carols: Together at Christmas promo which airs on ITV1 on 07 December at 9.45pm. The Carol Service will take place tomorrow at Westminster Abbey and will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve at 7:45pm.,Image: 827596021, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Royal Carols: Together at Christmas / Avalon
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- Princess Charlotte of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince George of Wales attend The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England. Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, and supported by The Royal Foundation, the service is a moment to bring people together at Christmas time and recognise those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the year.,Image: 827900368, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales attend The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England. Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, and supported by The Royal Foundation, the service is a moment to bring people together at Christmas time and recognise those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the year.,Image: 827907503, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been converted to black and white.) Catherine, Princess of Wales attends The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England. Spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, and supported by The Royal Foundation, the service is a moment to bring people together at Christmas time and recognise those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the year.,Image: 827907606, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been converted to black and white.), *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- Copyright in the photograph is vested in The Prince and Princess of Wales. Publications are asked to credit the photograph to Josh Shinner. The photograph shall be solely used for news editorial purposes only. It shall not be approved for souvenirs, or memorabilia; or anything colourably similar. There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photograph (including by way of example only) any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non news editorial use. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. The photograph shall not be used after 31st December 2024 without prior permission from Kensington Palace. Any questions relating to the use of the photograph should be first referred to Kensington Palace and before publication. Undated handout photo issued by Kensington Palace of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The photograph, which features on their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card this year, was taken by the photographer Josh Shinner earlier this year and shows The Prince and Princess with their three children in Windsor. NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.,Image: 828291451, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Josh Shinner/Kensington Palace / Avalon
I’ve never understood the BRFs unwillingness to use festive, holiday themed photos for their Christmas cards. None of them do and I find it rather odd.
I reckon we all know why this picture looks the way it does: William didn’t want to play happy families and photo with his wife, and Kate needed a plain backdrop where he could be edited in if necessary.
Willy’s facial expression is EXACTLY the same as in a previous pic – was he even there?
My take: the point of the photo was to show how connected they are, they are touching, y’all! Plus they are just like us, the simple viewer, that is in awe of royal wearing what we would wear and they are touching (OH LORT, HAVE MERCY)!
They are not all touching. Princess Charlotte is sitting and centered and not joined to any member of her family. It reminds me of the 70th birthday portrait where Charlotte is sitting on the opposite side from her immediate family. She was seated in front of Harry and Meghan and beside Camilla. Hope that little girl becomes a woman of substance.
And the one holiday pic they used, of the kids “mailing” notes to poor kids, looks fake as hell. Take a look at the ground – all the kid’s feet look like they’re floating above the ground, especially George’s, because there are no shadows at all. There should be shadows under their feet. They don’t look connected to the ground. Also, the right edge of George’s suit is fuzzy, almost blurred.
I wonder if Kkkate does the photoshopping?
All I want for Christmas is for a Harry & Meghan Christmas pic with Harry & Meghan as Mr & Mrs Claus, Archie & Lili as Santa’s helper elves and the dogs as reindeer.
You telling me Kate, the perfectionist, didn’t inspect this for errors and Willy too. Now they’re trying to lay the blame on some one else. Another mess to clear up but the Brit. tabloids will find a way.
She tried to cosplay her dead mother-in-law AND her sister-in-law and failed. I love this for her.
It looks like an AI generated photograph, even George looks likes he’s wearing a Tiara or a crown 🙄🙄🙄
I wonder if Meghan is feeling “punished” with the great media Kate’s got on this!
This obvious “explaining” article brought to you from leaks by the “never explain, never complain” crew is not about the social media reaction, but the hilarious Guardian article, which I bet did shock not just W&K, but the arrogant courtiers as well.
It really shows how lazy they and their staff are. Someone did a quickie photoshop job and thought, “good enough.”
I just read the Guardian article – oh dear…
Zoe Williams is a great writer on modern culture. Very funny but right on the button. The trying hard to be a family at ease with themselves!
Yeah, that Guardian piece was one humiliating beatdown. 😂 And richly deserved, for none of the Wales’ creative decisions here make any kind of sense. How in God’s name can they mess up something so simple as a holiday pix?
It is all Meghan’s fault. She made the photo fail. The gaslighting around the Wales is still in overdrive. We are regularly shown photos declaring that the children are their parents twins or twins of other royal relatives at the same age. It is very rare in any family that the children bear very litttle resemblence to their parents in how they look. The photo shopping of every Kate photo, the over the top fillers have become standard, its not only boring, it cheapens the BRF . The BRF has become a very low level commoner soap opera, with Middleton commoner wannabe aristos featuring as the stars.
It’s either commoners or genetic collapse. Which would you prefer?
I generally like and agree with Lainey but she tried to claim that this is part of that quiet luxury trend and I had to rile my eyes – this was every suburban family family photo a couple decades ago. It’s just so lame. On top of being badly photoshopped.
Lainey’s takes on the royal family are so weird lately. This isn’t quiet luxury (which she completely knows).
I had to take a step back from that post and go, “am I missing something?” Maybe she feels she needs to offer some counterprogramming to seem balanced? That picture was not the hill…
Her “quiet luxury” explanation was stupid. Nothing about this card is quietly luxurious or coolly California. Lainey never really goes there with the royal family. She’s never really negative about them and when she does criticize them it’s very mild and mostly trying to find something positive to say about them. Lainey was even praising Kate flashing her hooha during the South Korea visit. She was basically saying how great it was that Kate was showing “a little leg” and how nobody sees that side of Kate. Yeah, because we aren’t supposed to 🙄
Yes-that was a bizarre post. This screams “tacky and dated”-there is nothing remotely “quiet luxury” about their holiday card.
Yeah I noticed that too. I think she’s being reined in by her other job as a Canadian eTalk host or whatever. Canada is still commonwealth and the media companies don’t want to get blacklisted from royal coverage (assuming any of this lot ever get over there).
She’s also gun shy after an ancient photo of her with Meghan at the same dinner (back in Suits days) circulated and derangers bashed her as a Sussex leaker, puppet, spokesman, cheerleader… You get the gist.
I agree, Tina. It’s been noticeable that Lainey hasn’t written about the BRF as often. She says it’s because she’s bored, but I think it started around the time of the controversy about her photo at a dinner party with Meghan (i.e. the British media accused her of being friends with the Sussexes and their mouthpiece, same attack as Scobie and anyone who dares write positivethings about H&M). Any articles she wrote thereafter have been very carefully worded, praising/focusing on KKK’s fashion (pfft…whatever that is with KKK’s utter ineptitude at style) and any critique related to the BRF steered at the media coverage and connections rather than directly at W&K or Charles. My theory is that Lainey got spoken to by her employer at Bell Media, given that they are a Canadian news outlet and I wonder if they received threats from BP or KP to cut off access due to Lainey’s articles on the BRF. I thought Lainey would have written a few articles over the Royal Racist issue and media coverage given the direction and perspective her blog has taken in the last few years, but she barely touched it or examined it in the context of the timeline of the Oprah interview, Harry’s lawsuit, etc. It seems out of character for her.
However, I’ve noticed the Canadian news outlets have been cautiously restrained in their coverage of the BRF since the Queen’s passing. It’s still slightly sycophantic, but definitely less frequent articles and dialed down on the praise.
There is nothing about this that says quiet luxury. This screams middle class america in the 90s, maybe 80s. And thats fine (that’s how I grew up!) but there is nothing quiet luxury about this.
I can’t reply to the posters further down in this thread who pointed out that Lainey’s employer is Bell Media. She also used to be a host on the Social on the same network and I remember the Monday after the Coronation they had a royal expert on who was all Coronation rah rah. The panel just sat their mutely and then they moved onto a new topic. I remember thinking ok that was deliberate. They do not typically shy away from difficult or controversial topics but this was clearly an order from above. I have to remind myself often that most of Canada’s media is owned by conservative leaning billionaires.
She’s recently started her newsletter and, while I don’t subscribe, I receive the free posts. In one of the latest she was asked about Endgame and she said she’s still reading it, wrote about how she has known Scobie for years and they are friends. She did pointed out how awfully the BM has treated him. All that might affect the kind of thing she will post about the Royal Racist in her website.
She has also mentioned that she gets emails everyday about the royals and why she doesn’t cover certain things and I think she just doesn’t want to deal with them mostly.
She was supportive of Omid but this weird stuff about pretending that photo was quiet luxury is a joke. Gwynneth would never have sent out a photo this bad.
I did suspect a lot of it is that Canadian broadcasters aren’t super critical of royals in general. Now if she worked for Radio Canada or any Quebec network, there would not be this restraint. But English Canada is afraid to criticize that grifting family.
Plus let’s not forget how she got attacked by the minions supporting the Mulroneys. That’s a lot of white elites with power in Canada.
Having those brats write letters to the underprivileged and poor is an affront. ‘ here we are, Princes’ and a Princess feeling sorry that you have so little and we have so much. What are they thinking!!?
That backdrop is just not quiet luxury. It evokes 80s mall. At best, you could say they were trying to be funny and ironic except we know they don’t have a sense of humor about their public image. Rolling your eyes at someone calling this quiet luxury is fair.
Lainey has quietly switched allegiance. You can’t have an online platform and say you are BORED with Royal news 🙄🙄🙄 Her Canadian hosting gig might be at risk 🙄🙄🙄
She has supported Omid though. And she is critical of the British media and how they cover the royals.
She just says very little about Kate or Meghan. I agree that this is likely related to keeping a job with Bell media.
@thea @swaz I was wondering about that too re Lainey. Interesting info.
I used to love hearing Lainey’s take from the earliest days but have stopped reading her blog for months now. She seems to have become more of an establishment mouthpiece and that was never part of her appeal as an observer of gossip.
On the surface, it would seem that she would have lots to say and admire about Harry and Meghan’s journey from royal life to present life but instead, there is nothing of import or any insightful observation she seems to share.
I like to believe that her “What Else?” catch-all is a daily dig at Kitty’s “WOT.ELSE?” when the kids brought up Meghan, but yeah. She’s not great at royal coverage these days.
Yeah it is very 90s. Would have looked a bit more updated to the 20 oughts if they had changed out for khaki pants and the backdrop was a beach somewhere in the Florida panhandle.
When I read that post, I immediately thought “Nah, this isn’t quiet luxury, this is Normal Bill and Cathy cosplaying a middle class family through the filter of 80’s sitcom.
However, then my mind went to the recent portrait of the very posh Duke of Westminster and his fiancee which we recently discussed on this site. You know, they are wearing very casual clothes, not posed, and standing in front of a hedge? It very much appears like they took a photo and just posted it spontaneously without trying to edit or make everything perfect. It’s a little like super rich people wearing cashmere sweaters and tweeds with holes in them or using a flip phone –They’re so rich, they don’t care, they don’t need the status boost.
I *think* maybe this was the same vibe the Windsors were going for, although I think they ruined it. The literal posing, the photoshopping, the choice to publish it in black and white – it’s trying much too hard, and thus misses the whole point.
Much like how on some women, the Alessandra Rich 80’s puffed sleeve dresses and matching hats look fun and campy, but on Kate they do not! It’s like she is trying to copy what she’s seen the other toffs do, but she’s always missing something.
I don’t know. It seems to me that they’re trying to appeal to Americans with this epic photoshopped Olan Mills pic. Which is funny for a hundred reasons. This photo is so bad. I cannot unsee (all the wrong things) that it looks like George has the Seattle Seahawks image/logo on his head. It’s nothing against the Seahawks, I’ve cheered for them a number of times when Holmgren was there and Wilson. That is not George’s hair. It is not quiet luxury. At this point, the only one that looks to be competent enough to lead the left over Windsors into the future is Charlotte. I hope she doesn’t give up her voice.
But at the end, Lainey brings up the suspicious “royally white Christmas” story and leads her readers to draw the conclusion. So sure, she said Kate was on trend, but the larger thread in the post is about whiteness.
My first reaction was that it was depressing. The photo is so darn sad. If this is quiet luxury, I’m glad not to have a life of luxury, because dang, this would be a downer to anyone who had the misfortune of being on their holiday care list.
The Waleses signed off on that photo. As they get closer to the throne William and Kate need to accept not every one is going to buy into what they do.
That’s the one thing they have always suffered with. They expect everyone to bow at their feet, it’s all so medieval and messed up. They better get used to more public backlash because people are tired of their crap. They are useless and everyone knows it.
It just underlines that they have a very poor team working for them.
How did anyone not spot the mistakes? Or was it done on purpose by a disgruntled person?
This is the same team at KP that was “shocked” that photos of the Colonialist Cosplay in the Caribbean tour were criticized. The same team that were “surprised” that WanK got booed at a Celtics game in Boston. Of course the same team is totally unprepared for the negative attention their photo got! As much as I would love to pin it on William and Kate alone, I think it says more about the team that they’ve surrounded themselves with.
A whole slew of people had a chance to veto this photo, but they all either took one look at this grainy, black and white Sears family special and either thought “Wow, this is definitely the one!” or they cringed inwardly but stayed silent, knowing that criticism is both unwelcome and won’t go unpunished. Most of them want to leverage these positions to get a cushy role somewhere else, they’re not exactly going to speak truth to power.
If they were embarrassed, why send it out? Why approve the photo in the first place? Do they have no agency in any of their failures?
That’s the thing. Why send this out then? Really, they could have snapped a cell phone pic in front of a Christmas tree somewhere in Westminster abbey on the night of the carol thing and that would’ve been better than this. And they’re embarrassed? Not sure I believe that bc they’re pretty shameless. And Kate should technically be more embarrassed that she was outed as having concerns over Archie’s skin tone before he was as even born.
It’s the same as with the Caribbean tour – it’s never their fault and always everyone else’s.
I do like how Charles and Camilla generally pick a photo from an engagement or event and use that, then they know they’re getting a good photo and it’s not overly manufactured.
“William and Kate, both 41, are “embarrassed” that people think their holiday card was heavily edited,”
With everything else Peggington & Wiggington have to be embarrassed about, why are they getting their knickers in a wad over a Christmas Card?
It is not like Royal Christmas Cards are as important as say SCOTUS trading cards. LOL!
They should be more embarrassed about their behaviors and racism than a poorly done photo but with these two this is what you get. Clueless idiots.
Right? More embarrassed by a photo than being outed as a racist, fun times.
Both are shameless and definitely don’t do self reflection so they are not embarrassed. Clearly we peasants are at fault for not appreciating their superiority in everything from photos to infinity and beyond!
Not sure why they don’t just go with who they are in Christmas photos. Be stiff and cold, wear those crowns or copy the queen and do family and dogs outside (didn’t she have a card like that?),
Also, OT but I just noticed her carol sweater has its pockets right up under her chest. I’ve only seen the pockets lower, is this a new thing?
Maybe it something to do with the jacket looking three sizes too small! Maybe a petite size. Either way it looked like a Chanel knock-off to me and another fail.
They’re not embarrassed that the photo is so bad. As pointed out, they literally picked this photo and must have thought, yeah, this is good. They’re embarrassed that the usual chorus of praise was replaced by these hysterical comments stating the obvious about this massive fail. 😂 LMAO!
Exactly.
THIS!
How pathetic, how truly terribly wrong about *everything* must you be if a 90+ year old hobbit woman managed to project mystery, magic, regal… And you, tall thin 40-somethings in the prime of life with three adorable kids flop at even taking a picture?
We’re all laughing because almost all of normies with our red blood and peasant lineage take Christmas photos with *none* of the advantages these people have.
We wear our Target clothes, pose in our little homes, put our cell phones on a timer (maybe get fancy with a tripod), put the result on a Shutterfly holiday postcard – and it still looks 1000x better than this!!!!
These people are >>>>given<<< enormous advantages…. Why? To what end? When they're clearly not using any of advantageously?
Someone needs to start a monarchy countdown clock and start a Vegas betting futures on it.
My money is that William will be the last reigning monarch. I thought George would be, but I don't think William will hold it together long enough for George to come of age.
I laughed out loud at this comment (and you’ve pegged me and my card down to a T)! Love it and so very true!
“How pathetic, how truly terribly wrong about *everything* must you be if a 90+ year old hobbit woman managed to project mystery, magic, regal”
What is really pathetic is that Wigs & Pegs octogenarian Gloucester cousins partake in more Royal engagements than they do.
Comment of the week, Lurker25! These two, and their team, couldn’t be more incompetent if they tried!
A toast to you, Lurker25!
Lurker25–damn straight. 👏👏👏👏 🤣
They should let us think , as if they didn’t see the photos before it was sent out . Mtcheew. Also I don’t think they are embarrassed of the photo, i just think they are unhappy with how it was received
Indeed. They are not long enough together to make a family photo….that’s why they have “chosen” that one. They’re not a family outside than in papers.
After a few days of observation, I think this photoshop horror happened because William wasn’t there. Even the Monaco couple pulled together a decent looking card this year, but for whatever reason, William couldn’t be bothered to turn up for the Christmas card photoshoot. There’s just something not right about this. His face–the angles, his expression, everything–is too similar to the cards they’ve released before. Compare his face here to the face in the 2021 card (the one where they’re all in Jordan, sitting on some rocks in shorts). Isn’t that too much the same? I don’t get it. He might be a deadbeat, checked-out father with a second family or something, but he also has all the money and time in the world. They couldn’t coordinate a scene? Really? He seems to genuinely have a connection with his children when you see them at events, so it’s not as though he never sees them. This whole thing is just weird to me. But then again, they’ve been photoshopping William into pictures for years–does anybody else remember when they had to change a formal photo years ago, just because he wouldn’t smile for the camera?
Which returns to the question of what on earth does William DO? Where is he day to day? What ‘work’ is he performing in a five day week? Charles was a very busy Prince of Wales, seen about with commitments, travel and events on behalf of his own Trust, his mother and the Crown. What is William doing?
I suspect he spends half the time away from Britain, secretly in Africa with Jecca.
If his current girlfriend is svetlana ignatiev as claimed he probably visits her home country as well.
For all his marital shortcomings and the weirdness of that dynamic, I’ve heard Albert isn’t a monster and is quite likable in private. William on the other hand, we’ve heard nothing but him being a monster and an abusive tyrant behind closed doors, so I can see why the odd Monoco situation while not healthy somehow pulls it together. The Windsors have no chance with William’s volatile and unhinged personality. He’d make even a simple photo shoot into a battleground and stage for abuse like so many average dysfunctional fathers do.
Right? To me it’s obvious that William is the problem and has been for some time. I wonder if we’ll ever find out precisely what’s going on here. If you grew up in an abusive household, the dynamics are fairly obvious and familiar. Even in black and white and with photoshop.
HeyJude & SueBarbri33, don’t fool yourselves into believing that KHate is not manipulative, bullying to people ‘beneath’ her or not able to hold her own in a yelling match with Wont. I have a feeling they’re evenly matched. The issue with KHate is that she is the married in, so that puts her at a disadvantage. I think she has some kind of alliance with KFC, which gives her protection of sorts. This could be why Wont has been pretty much done with her (and she him). Time will tell.
It was Edward and Sophie’s wedding photo. Supposedly William wouldn’t smile because he didn’t like Sophie. Perhaps because Diana didn’t. She called her Miss Goody Two shoes.
That’s the occasion! I remember it vividly, because they even showed the changed photo on CNN or something.
I barely glanced at the photo, but now that I took a good look, I see all of the terrible photoshop. Especially around Louis. Oof! It’s like when I do a Midjourney AI render and it can never get the limbs right.
Beyond making fun of them for the photoshop fail, this highlights to me how piss poor both them and their staff is at the job. How did ANYONE let this go through?
I think they did with what they have and by that I means nothing: the parents are divorced in everything but papers and the kids are taken care of by nannies and barely know them.
William is soo fugly. That’s all I got.
Oh I love this for them 😂😂 They have become so used to people praising them for just bloody breathing that they thought they could fob the people of with this “well at least we tried (a very little bit) to look cool, happy and American, because America loves us”, And they are being called RIGHT OUT. No you didn’t, and haven’t tried to do fk all properly ever since the Queen died. Every day your becoming more and more of an embarrassment, and the country is getting sick of your laziness and vanity.
Right, Mary Pester. I’m a Californian and nothing in this photo screams “California Cool”. The British media is doing their most to inject H&M and a little glamour into this story. Only way to get clicks these days! It’s both silly and stupid to declare that people wearing jeans and white shirts standing in front of a basic grey studio backdrop is California style — as if no one else in the other 49 United States dresses like this.
It’s so preposterous! America won’t be “conquered” by these posers. Pegs and Triple K haven’t the glamour, style, creativity, talent, or even gravitas to take on the massive American public. We’re thoroughly underwhelmed by these grifters.
Not to mention, we Americans discuss and confront the evils of racism more honestly and with more courage than it is dealt with on Salt Island.
Ehehehe. The Wales (or anyone else) trying to pass this off as Cali Cool is one of the most hilarious things about this. CC is unique, funky, eclectic, free-flying, and budget-friendly. What it is _not_ is unimaginative, Camazotz-sterile, and flat. Some people…🙄
No he is not, he is the sexiest bald combover man that ever balded, doncha know
😝🤣🤪🤬🤢🤮
Obviously these two idiots signed off on it and thought it was great. But you can bet that now it’s being ill-received, they will blame everyone around them. This is typical William and Kate behavior: blame everyone else for their mistakes and take credit for everyone else’s work if the situation goes well.
For sure it was their choice on the picture. But I’m just laughing at the idea that the people around them were telling them that it wasn’t a janky picture.
They’re embarrassed the same way they were after the Caribbean flop – it wasn’t until the reactions that they thought anything was amiss.
Standing on that awful floor covering was just bizarre to me. The whole photo was depressing IMO. It really says, Merry Christmas! Not.
However, they all looked fine except for the Photoshop fail. I’m sure William is blaming Kate for the whole mess. Kate trying to be artsy is what it was. It looked cheap and very fugly gray. They live in stunning England. The possibilities were endless within their many homes and outside in the countryside.
This from a woman who *thinks* she is a talented photographer.
Ha ha! Yes, true. And she lives and breathes photoshop; I don’t think she could’ve existed before the 2000s and edited photography because she isn’t her photographs. There’s no way this photo didn’t get signed off by Kate David Bailey Middleton. Thing is, it kind of reminds me of the black and white photos we got of our kids when they were babies, thinking it was arty. God, it’s cringe to look back.
You just brought to mind the Anne Geddes portraits of infants — picture William on a cabbage leaf!
Hannah1. That was so funny!
I mentioned this the other day, but I think part of the reason this falls so flat isn’t because it evokes mall era family photos in the 80s/90s or its bad composition or whatever.
It also evokes a time when the peasants would have been so happy and felt so blessed to have caught a glimpse of royalty, to have been CHOSEN to see the royals and the future king and future future king, that they just would have accepted this picture as a crumb and would have been happy with it.
Now maybe that was never actually the case, but the Windsors definitely think it was the case and W&K think it still is. No one would dare criticize them when they get to see a picture of their precious children!!!!
but we see the children all the time now so thats 🤷♀️, W&K are boring, and back to this being just a bad and boring picture.
Even today, I would think a Christmas card from the royal family would be kind of special – I know I’d be kind of puffed up to get one from the White House.
The dilemma is obvious when looking at the two sides – C&C’s full-on majesty card vs W&K’s “we’re pretending to be just like you.” My thought, as non-British, would be “If I have to pay for a royal family, they’d better look royal.” So maybe the Wales don’t go bananas with the tiaras and capes, but they should at least make an effort.
They have managed to take decent family photos in the past which makes this so weird. Although last year it was a picture taken in the spring, it didn’t have all these weird photo shop issues. The nature background covered up for the jeans theme they had that year too.
Whoever told them to do this in black and white missed the boat.
Honestly, are the Wales’ advisors from Camazotz, or something? Sheesh… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wrinkle_in_Time
Some of you seem to have missed Lainey’s article about the “White Christmas “ headline in the daily fail. She is not writing about them as much, but there is always some criticism of W & K.
There is some criticism, that’s true. She has written some really scathing pieces on the Monarchy. Its more just when the take is really strange and off and it’s asking us to question what our eyes are seeing. This picture just does not seem part of a quiet luxury trend. Why is it quiet luxury ? Bc of the jeans and white-button ups? Lots of families do that. The mall backdrop just isn’t quiet luxury. Sarah Vine who is horrible and writes for the daily mail called this California-cool. And no, nothing about this is California cool just like nothing about this is quiet luxury. We expect a completely wrong take from sara vine bc there’s an agenda. I think a lot of commenters here probably like and read Lainey, myself included, so when she calls something quiet luxury when that is just clearly not the vibe at all, it feels off. Maaaaybe if they’d worn the white button-ups and jeans in another setting, I could’ve seen it.
I feel it’s more like “Texas Line-dancing” (or “Cowboy Social Wear”) than “California Cool”? (If one goes by the costumes in those Hallmark and LifeTime movies?)
Yeah I liked the shade she threw. LOL. I don’t think most people got what she was saying. But honestly the derangers are insane and go after WOC all the time, see Sistah’s Space. I don’t blame her for being careful about what she says and with her job, she has to be doubly careful. Shrug.
To be fair if they were wearing Christmas sweaters we would still be making fun of them (the lazy duo, not the children). They should really just stick a Christmas tree in the back and it would be fine, boring but fine.
C’mon!
What a couple of flat out Tools.
They chose the card. Shut up.
Weeping dog on a bed! The world is going to hell, year 5, and these wealth hoarding idiots are so self involved that now we gotta put up with this whining?
Pound Sand, W&K.
I wonder why they never released a portrait of her wearing a tiara and him in uniform like what Charles and Diana did? Also, they could have shared a pic from behind the scenes of the coronation as a Christmas card. They should copy other European families instead of Harry and Meghan.
I would have preferred just the kids on the card, we don’t need to see Peg & racist Keen.
Charles and Diana did that – after the separation. I don’t think they want this comparison.
I think if Harry and Meghan release a beautiful Christmas card and it breaks the internet, W&K will also release another new pic on Christmas Day like they did in 2019.
One of my kids watched the Kate at the baby bank video with me and said “they could do so much more”. This straight off the bat from a kid who knows nothing about Kate Middleton. I showed her M&H’s video and she said, “they do so much”. Kids tell it like it is. W&K will always be running to catch up, so I can see them doing another photo, but they’ll never get it. Kate’s photo and video are fine, but they’re obviously not pleased. These things are what they are because they are who they are. They’ll never change that.
Well, at least Charlotte looks lovely. The photographer must have realized she’s the most naturally charismatic of the bunch and smartly set her front and center.
There was an article on People yesterday about how people had been pointing out the odd details in their Christmas card. I was surprised because People is usually very sugary and over the top with praising Will and Kate. But People mentioned that commenters were confused about Kate and William’s legs and Louis’s fingers, I guess the pic has gotten that much attention on social media. Even Elizabeth Holmes was at a loss for the weird picture they released lol. Apart from all those details, I find the wrinkly carpet they’re all standing on so distracting. It makes the photo look messy and cheap. Not very impressed with the photographer either.
OK, the good news is everyone has the right number of legs, and I hope to god no one starts micromanaging the kids’ finger placement (but you know they will). I think it’s supposed to be “the modern Kennedys,” but it reeeeally reads as Old Navy, which is such a funny direction for “simple. elegant. understated. authentic. real,” to go. It never gets old! I’m seriously about to print these people out and put them on my fridge until NYE 2024 because every time I look at this photo, I have to grin, lol
I agree, but I have to add that the Kennedy’s would have been outside! And they would have cropped the photo so that you could see their faces. Not this mess. Here, we are distant from a family that is quite distant from itself. Very strange.
For sure! The Kennedy’s would probably send a photo of the whole family arrayed on their ancestral grounds or on a yacht. Actual quiet luxury, not this mess.
LOL! Their xmas pic does look like an ad for Old Navy! (‘Cali Cool’ my arse!)
Kate’s Jaclyn Smith circaCharlies Angels wig has got to go. It’s so outdated and simply hideous. If they are such a ‘happy & successful family’ why is it impossible for them ever to look happy? That card is a disaster.
Someone on Twitter (now X) said the composition was purposeful because if a line is drawn, Charlotte and Louis disappear and it becomes just Willy, Katie and George.
Now I cannot help but see only that aspect. Diabolically pathetic.
I don’t understand why people aren’t SCREAMING to defund the monarchy. I do understand why abolish the monarchy is so conflated, confusing and difficult, but defunding them is surely a lot easier. Also, transparency. Why is there NONE? Surely taxpayers have a right to know where/how/why their tax dollars are being spent? Defunding them could be done relatively easily and definitely faster. Abolishing them is a much harder, longer battle. It’s a conundrum.
They’re pretending to be regular people in this shot lol, but most ordinary people wouldn’t send out a Christmas pic like this. William’s shirt is wrinkled and he even has the cuffs rolled up. Most people make more effort if they’re sending out a picture. Total fail.
They are like a family of aliens trying to pass a human. 😆
I said it when this photo dropped they didn’t go on vacation together as a family and didn’t have a picture for Christmas. And because they have been conditioned to think their every move will be praised, they released this lazy, no effort, budget photo.
You may be onto something with the non holidays. It looks like the kind of last photo that comes before a divorce. I can’t remember which show it was, but it starts with a family photo like this and the wife, newly divorced, explaining to a friend that she’d been compelled to do one last happy family photo, thinking they could fake to make it, but they’d split soon after.
Not one of them saw this pic and said maybe use a pic from the Christmas concert? Even without the photoshop fail it’s pretty bad holiday card pic.
Exactly, But I’ve never seen someone so desperate to look American as Kate English Rose Middleton.
I’m so late I know I won’t add much here, but I’ve been reflecting on the fact that it’s hard to throw a stone and not hit a competent family photographer in the US and I know there are plenty in the UK. It’s just nuts to me that Kate can’t round one up, along with a Pinterest board or something to establish a competent, well thought concept that exudes casual elegance. It’s just not hard. I’m beginning to think her mother managed her affairs for so long because she needed to…Kate is quite simply too stupid to do her job.
I was going to reply to you, but it somehow ended up as a stand-alone comment further down.
And they try to tell us that Kate is a photographer!
We literally just snapped a photo of us in casual clothes and coats while choosing a Christmas tree — and it is miles better than this abomination.
None of us is wearing makeup; my husband didn’t even brush his hair!
People overlook that kind of thing when the goal is clearly to show a snapshot of real life. But this photo was super-staged and stiff … and so it was ripe for criticism. And LOL, the internet delivered!
It’s strange that they haven’t yet realized that their every move is going to be analyzed and gone over, with a fine-toothed comb—that the very obsessive analysis and criticism of the Sussexes they themselves have unleashed is coming back onto them.
I think Kate and George have been spliced into the picture – look at their eyes, the focus is off centre whereas William, Louis and Charlotte are looking directly forward. That explains why William has a missing left shoulder and no left leg. No reasonable deduction as to what the heck is going on with Louis’ hand. Also, how long is Kate’s arm for it to have her hand on George’s waist?! Sloppy photoshop by the photographer and lazy choice by WanK.
Do you think that maybe they were photoshopped together (pictures taken separately) and this was the type of editing that made it least obvious?
Edited to add: this was meant as a reply to Lululu, # 34.
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As Kate has never really worked a day in her life – and I don’t consider the few hours over several weeks at Jigsaw work, much less her little whatever “work” she does as a welfare royal – the People in Grey must know she is too stupid to tie her shoelaces on her own, or curate a Pinterest board.
The Wailses have a staff of 60 (!), and I don’t think all of them are nannies, chefs/cooks, cleaners.
There are people like Lee Thompson looking after them, he should know how to network or outsource PR jobs like this one, where it’s all about hiring a team to do a proper professional photo shoot, adequate make-up, hair, and props included.
That said, whoever picked out this slightly spooky, ghoulish looking photo knew exactly what they did and why. The Lamebridges of Keensington Palace probably only found out why things were making waves, just not the way they wanted, hours after the fact.
And I like this for them, more proof they don’t have any idea about professional conduct, much less *real life* in general.
Hence? #AbolishTheMonarchy
It’s tacky because it’s trying to be modern, like M&H with their black and white wedding photo. They should stick to what they know. Was last year’s card the whole family walking along under the summer trees? I liked that.
Being jealous and just straight up mean can lead to one’s downfall.
All that editing with extra legs and missing fingers but no one thought to edit that ghastly wig! LMFAO
That card was just so nondescript and unflattering. Everything about it was so amateurish from the composition to the bleakness to lack of anything remotely festive. Not sure what they were aiming for but it was lame.
Also, it is entirely possible that an underpaid KP aide chose this shot on purpose. I would if I worked there.
I think William’s torso was edited in as the shadows on his shirt are darker; however Kate’s missing leg is a Christmas mystery. The photo fails on many levels, but Will and Kate’s nutckracker straight posture reads stiff and formal and the opposite of the California casual look they are trying to convey.
If they don’t want to announce the separation, then they have to deal with the embarrassment of trying to photoshop themselves into a happy family unit.
My screen turns to grayscale in the evenings so that I get bored by social media instead of seeing colorful pics. I saw on insta this during the grayscale time and assumed that the real one was in color. I thought it looked awful and was completely shocked that anyone with eyes would release this. It doesn’t show family warmth, or wealth or anything I would think they would want to convey. Just 90s mall photo, down to the awkward poses.
Let’s get this straight: With Kate’s degree in Art History and frequent photographer of her family, she was too lazy to spend a few seconds to check the all-important Christmas photography?
They are both brats-their staff are too scared to tell them the truth because they wouldn’t accept criticism is my guess for how this embarrassing Gap advert style photo got chosen.
Also, I agree William is an arrogant bastard but I strongly believe she wears the trousers & she was behind Meghan being pushed out. Kate would never have accepted anyone young and female in the family but woe betide they’re prettier, brighter, less lazy. That’s the only thing Meghan did wrong & I’d put money on her manipulating William into agreeing Meghan was a threat. She’s hard, cold & narcissistic. There’s an old video somewhere of her having a go at William. She was mega sulky & you can see him panicking & trying to make up & her standing firm.
Luckily, she has no natural style or talent so she wouldn’t know how awful the pic is. Ditto for William. And the staff daren’t stand up to the pair of brats.
I agree with you. The photo from THAT Commonwealth service where they ignored Meghan – Son of Tampon is looking at Kate anxiously as if to gauge her bitch level.
I get it that people want a nice family portrait so it will be photoshop. That’s normal human reaction. What I don’t get from this photo is: Why did you also photoshop the children’s faces& necks? They are young & cute, there’s no need to photoshop. What? George got a zip on his face? /S
LOOK AT HER FACE! Kate’s face is several shades darker gray than her neck. Her head was photoshopped into this image. Or maybe her face is so touched up that it got darker with each edit. I wonder if that’s why this was converted to BW.