Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal Christmas card sparks ‘Photoshop’ debate again

With the release of their sun-kissed family portrait for a 2025 Christmas card, the Prince and Princess of Wales have upheld one of the longer festive traditions; it has quickly become a lightning rod for social media scrutiny.

Royal Christmas card sparks ‘Photoshop’ debate once more

Released on December 18, the photo is of Prince William and Catherine sitting on the grass in a field of spring daffodils along with their three kids — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis. Clicked by photographer Josh Shinner in Norfolk back in April, the photo exudes a relaxed, "middle-class farmer" vibe. However, eagle-eyed royal watchers quickly flocked to platforms like Reddit to question the photo's authenticity.

Digital doubts

Despite the lovely scene, some users claimed the picture seemed "fake"; most of these comments targeted the Princess of Wales. Some commenters claimed that Catherine seemed "added in" to the shot, insisting her hand—resting on Prince George's shoulder—looked digitally altered.

"Her hand seems like she's wearing a different shirt and isn't even holding Prince George," said one good observer. Others questioned if the family were even together for the sitting. During 2023, there was controversy similar in tone when fans claimed Prince Louis was "missing a finger" and William's legs appeared to vanish behind a chair.

A year of milestones

The 2025 card marks the latest in a spate of releases from the same April photoshoot, which yielded portraits for Louis's and George's birthdays earlier this year. It returns to tradition after the family's 2024 card broke protocol with a computer-generated GIF of falling snow. The Wales family are not the only royals sharing in the festive cheer; King Charles and Queen Camilla recently released a portrait from their anniversary trip to Italy, as did Princess Anne, who shared her annual card. As the royals prepare for their traditional gathering at Sandringham, this latest debate serves as a reminder that every pixel of the monarchy remains under a very public microscope.

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