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Entertainment

See the Royal Family Christmas Cards Every Year Since Prince Charles Married Princess Diana

By Meredith Bodgas

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The British Royal Family had been sending out Christmas cards well before Princess Diana came into their lives, but the often formal portraits took on a whole other look once she and Prince Charles had children. We’ve collected them all here–plus the ones that went out after she left us.

Each card serves as a time capsule for the year that preceded it. Click through and you’ll see Prince William and Prince Harry grow from cherubic little boys to adults, women’s clothing trends morph, and Prince Charles become more at ease.

And now that Prince William has his own children, the newest series of Christmas cards will allow you to watch Prince George and Princess Charlotte transform too.

Happy holidays!

via <a href=”http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337639/Marriages-affairs-fatherhood-How-Charless-life-told-Christmas-cards.html” target=”blank”>DailyMail.com; DailyMail.com_

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  1. 1981 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1981

    Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding took place in July of that year, and the new couple celebrated with an official wedding portrait for their holiday card.

  3. 1982 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1982

    By their next Christmas card, the prince and princess had more happiness to celebrate--Prince William's birth in June, just 11 months after the nuptials.

  5. 1983 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1983

    Prince William entered toddlerhood this year, and doesn't he look so much like his own chubby-cheeked son Prince George? Princess Diana would become pregnant with Prince Harry shortly after this card was sent out.

  6. 1984 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1984

    It was another momentous year for the royal family. Prince Harry arrived on the scene in September. And it looks the rest of the group is positively overjoyed about their addition.

  7. 1985 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1985

    The family of four seemed to have a lot of fun with pony rides for the kids. Prince Charles and Princess Diana were both mad for plaid in this card.

  9. 1986 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1986

    Welcome to the Christmas card, Tigga! The sweet pooch looked so comfy on Princess Diana's lap, while the children--in typical kid fashion--just couldn't hold still and smile for the camera. Still, this group shot is adorable.

  10. 1987 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1987

    The family used this portrait of them in Majorca, Spain for their Christmas card this year, choosing white tops to show off their golden, sun-kissed skin.

  11. 1987 Qe2 Christmas Card

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    1987

    Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip decided to involve their grandchildren for their very own Christmas card. Prince William and Prince Harry's older cousins Zara and Peter Phillips are the other other blondies in the photo. Their younger cousins hadn't yet been born.

  13. 1988 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1988

    Full-on formal for this portrait, Prince Charles is wearing the ceremonial uniform of the Welsh guards, while the boys donned dark suits. Princess Diana was certainly in her Sunday best, as well.

  14. 1989 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1989

    The foursome swung back to a more relaxed look for their final Christmas card of the 1980s, which was taken at their private residence, Highgrove House and Gardens.

  15. 1990 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1990

    The boys were in the holiday spirit in coordinating crimson sweaters, whereas the proud parents were in business attire for their first picture of the new decade.

  17. 1991 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1991

    The colors of the season popped in Diana's blazer, and the guys' ties. Sadly, this was the last Christmas card that all four would appear in together because of the couple's marital problems.

  18. 1992 Royal Family Christmas Card

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    1992

    This was the first year Princess Diana and Prince Charles didn't appear in their Christmas card--and it was the last one they'd send out together as a couple.

  19. 1993 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    1993

    For the first time, Prince Charles and Princess Diana each sent out their own Christmas card featuring themselves and their boys. This lounging-in-the-grass photo was courtesy of Prince Charles.

  21. 1993 Princess Diana Christmas Card

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    1993

    In opposition to Prince Charles's casual outdoor shot, Princess Diana sent out this stylized indoor portrait, with Prince Harry looking lovingly up at his mother, and Princess Diana looking lovingly down at Prince William.

  22. 1994 Princes Charles Christmas Card

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    1994

    For the second year in a row, Prince Charles posed with his growing guys outdoors, this time in a field with festive red flowers.

  23. 1994 Princess Diana Christmas Card

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    1994

    Diana went monochrome for her annual Christmas portrait, with little Prince Harry again showing just how crazy he is about his dear mother.

  25. 1995 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    1995

    Did they think kids popping up from inside giant urns was avant-garde--or were they just being playful? We're going with the latter, given Jack Russell Tigga's reappearance in the family card.

  26. 1995 Princess Diana Christmas Card

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    1995

    The single mom and her sons flashed beautiful smiles for another black-and-white portrait. It would be the last Christmas card in which Princess Diana would feature.

  27. 1996 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    1996

    Boys will be boys? Again, Prince Charles showed off his silly side by having the brood rest chins on shepherd's crooks for this picture taken at Balmoral, the royal's vacation estate in Scotland.

  29. 1996 Diana Christmas Card

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    1996

    For the final card Princess Diana would ever send out, she included her sons and her nieces, Fergie's daughters, Eugenie and Beatrice, with Prince Charles's younger brother, Prince Andrew.

  30. 1997 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    1997

    They didn't know it when they took this photo on the Royal Yacht Brittania, but Princess Diana would die just days later.

  31. 1998 Queen Elizabeth Christmas Card

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    1998

    Another card at Balmoral, this time featuring Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, all their children, and their grandchildren, and their beloved Corgis. The only grandchild not pictured: Queen Elizabeth's oldest, Peter Phillips.

  33. 1999 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    1999

    An idyllic background set the scene for this heartstring-tugging card of Prince Charles with his arms around his grown-up sons.

  34. 2000 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    2000

    Though Prince Charles opted for a kilt, his kids selected the more modern button-down-with-slacks look. Prince William was now 18 years old.

  35. 2001 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    2001

    The three princes showed off their love for polo in their 2001 Christmas card, a return to the great outdoors.

  37. 2002 Charles Christmas Card

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    2002

    Cheeky Charles was at it again with his pensive princes posing on a tree. Prince William looks like he's stifling giggles, whereas Prince Harry, now 18, looks confused over the photo shoot choices.

  38. 2003 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    2003

    The father and sons got super-close for their first black-and-white photo together. World-renowned photographer Mario Testino took this shot.

  39. 2004 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    2004

    The royal men tapped Testino again for this timeless shoot, the last they would take together as a trio for a Christmas card.

  40. 2005 Prince Charles Camilla Christmas Card

    Getty Images

    2005

    The heir apparent focused on the blending of families for the 2005 edition, standing next to his new bride, Camilla, and his sons, along with Camilla's children from her previous relationship. To date, this is the last card Prince Charles has sent out that included his children.

  41. 2006 Prince Charles Camilla Christmas Card

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    2006

    This year ushered in a series of Prince Charles sending out Christmas cards with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. The pictures are far more candid than the often stoic ones he took with Princess Diana.

  42. 2007 Prince Charles Camilla Christmas Card

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    2007

    The photos Prince Charles and Camilla choose have a more spontaneous feel, with seemingly genuine smiles and body language that indicates these two are in sync.

  43. 2008 Prince Charles Camilla Christmas Card

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    2008

    Even in the rain these two are absolutely jovial. Here they are on a ferry that shares Camilla's royal title.

  44. 2009 Prince Charles Camilla Christmas Card

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    2009

    Dressed to the nines for the Royal Ascot, a series of horse races each June, the pair enjoyed the carriage ride during the Royal Procession.

  45. 2010 Prince Charles And Camilla Christmas Card

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    2010

    After such a spring-like photo for the previous year's greeting, the couple went in a different direction the following year, using a wintry skiing scene.

  46. 2011 Prince Charles Christmas Card

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    2011

    Prince Charles and Camilla selected a snap from Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. But rather than show the bride and groom, the picture starred Eliza, Camilla's granddaughter who was a bridesmaid at her stepson's nuptials.

  47. 2012 Prince Charles Camilla Christmas Card

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    2012

    Another impromptu shot at a major event, this is from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating her 60 years on the throne.

  48. 2013 Charles And Camilla Christmas Card

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    2013

    The happy couple again chose a moment from the Royal Ascot to spread holiday joy. Their merriment is contagious.

  49. 2014 Prince Charles And Camilla Christmas Card

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    2014

    In a subtle nod to Prince Harry, his dad and stepmom sent out a Christmas card of them applauding at the Invictus Games, an Olympics-like event for injured soldiers which Harry set up.

  50. 2014 Prince George Christmas Portrait 1

    via Facebook

    2014

    It wasn't an official card, but this Christmas portrait of Prince George may have been royal fans' most anticipated holiday photo. There were two others that were publicly released--and just as adorable.

  51. 2015 Charles And Camilla Christmas Card

    Getty Images

    2015

    Prince Charles got cozy with his wife of a decade for the latest Christmas mailing.

  52. 2015 Prince William Kate Middleton Christmas Card

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    2015

    Finally! The newest generation of royals make their joint appearance on a Christmas card. Princess Charlotte made her debut with just one shoe on, and yet it was still a perfect portrait.

  53. 2015 Prince Harry Battle Of Britain Vet Tom Neil

    via Instagram

    2015

    Prince Harry has begun sending out his own holiday cards. His first featured Tom Neil, a veteran whom the prince had met during an event marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

  54. Royal Family Christmas Cards 2016

    Instagram

    2016

    The Instagram account ladyandtherose shared a photo of the Cambridge's adorable 2016 Christmas card. The photo was taken during the royal family's tour of Canada at a garden party the royal attended for military families.

  55. Royal Family Christmas Cards 2017

    2017

    The picture-perfect family of four (and soon to be five!) beamed in their 2017 Christmas card. Though the family looks especially royal in their matching blue hues, it's Princess Charlotte's who's stolen the show with her cheeky grin.

Keep scrolling, there's more!
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