Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
It is perhaps the most romantic royal Christmas card sent this year, as well as the most poignant. The festive greeting of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh makes a very sweet link with times past as well as looking to the future with a brand new portrait.
Sophie and Edward have chosen to mark the season with a card containing not one but three different photos. One of them is a never before seen image from the set taken to mark their Silver Wedding anniversary in June.
The portrait, by Chris Jelf, shows them smiling and relaxed on a walk in the run up to their celebrations.
However, it’s the montage they have chosen that has really caught the eye. In the autumn, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh paid a visit to Malta where Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip lived for some time in the years before her accession to the throne.
The Christmas card shows a photo of Elizabeth and Philip as Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in Malta next to an image of Edward and Sophie, now Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, in the country during their stay. It is a special nod from the couple.
Edward and Sophie, along with their children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, are expected to join the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas Day celebrations.