They are just the kind of heart-warming cards that were being opened by mothers up and down the country yesterday: Sweet, affectionate and lovingly homemade.
But there was one significant difference in the hand-drawn greetings cards from Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, which were posted on the Kensington Palace Instagram account to mark Mothering Sunday.
They were not for their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, but for their grandmother Princess Diana – a woman whom they never knew but whose influence towers over the monarchy, almost as much in death as she did herself in life.
On their own, the cards adorned with hearts, kisses and stickers for a princess who died almost 24 years ago are remarkably poignant, as was the palace’s intriguing admission that William and Kate’s children write loving messages to their paternal grandmother each year on Mother’s Day.
The royal family’s Christmas photo was taken at their home in Norfolk
“The Duke and Duchess are delighted to share a new image of their family, which features on their Christmas card this year,” Kensington Palace captioned the image. In a statement, photographer
Matt Porteous said, “It was an honour to photograph The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their family. Capturing the fun and relaxed moments between such a wonderful family is always a true privilege.”
The Cambridges’ photo was leaked last week after a recipient posted an image of the Christmas card on social media. According to