The Prince and Princess of Wales delighted their fans on Thursday when the royal couple shared their annual Christmas card, which featured an image of the royal couple with their three children.
However, minutes after sharing the post, the couple removed it from their social media pages. The image soon reappeared on their feeds, but there was a notable change to the image that had been shared, with the royals now sharing a more zoomed-in version of the sweet family photo.
The card itself was a royal first as the image was animated, with snow falling down around the card as it sat in front of a Christmas tree.
The message from William and Kate read: “Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas” with a Christmas tree emoji.
Royal fans were besotted with the image, as one enthused: “Perfect Christmas card for everyone who watched the video, have a blessed and healthy celebration,” and a second posted: “Happy Christmas your royal highnesses! I hope the joy of Princess Catherine’s recovery makes this the most special one yet.”
The family snap is different to the artistic black-and-white shot they released last year, which was taken by fashion and portrait photographer Josh Shinner.
© InstagramThe image came from a video show by Will Warr in Norfolk, which was shared when Princess had completed her preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
The royal couple was seen in a series of shots at their country estate, Anmer Hall, out on a dog walk in the nearby woodland and at the beach with their three children.
© GettySeveral royals have started releasing their own Christmas cards in the build-up to the festive season, including the King and Queen. Their message read: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year!”
The portrait features Charles and Camilla standing close together with their arms around one another. The photo was taken in the gardens at Buckingham Palace back in April.
© GettyThe photograph had a special meaning to it, as it was taken on the morning of 10 April, one day after Charles and Camilla celebrated 19 years of marriage.