William and Kate sent a “personal” Christmas card that captured a “special moment”, while Harry and Meghan’s message was “corporate” and “not very aesthetically pleasing” in comparison, a media expert said. brands.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who reside in Montecito, were the first to release their Christmas card on Monday through their nonprofit, Archewell.
It featured six snapshots of the couple, many of which were taken during their outings, such as their tours in Colombia and Nigeria, along with a family snapshot that included Archie and Lilibet.
William and Kate apparently decided to wait until closer to Christmas to post their heartfelt holiday card, eventually posting it online at 2pm on Thursday.
He showed them in Norfolk, along with his children, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis. The image was taken from the video Kate posted in September confirming she would return to public duties after completing her chemotherapy treatment.
But brand and culture expert Nick Ede said that while the Prince and Princess of Wales’s card seemed intimate and provided a moving insight into their family life, Harry and Meghan’s “lacked a personal touch”.
He told FEMAIL: ‘Harry and Meghan have decided to be more corporate because they want to build their Archewell brand and this is a way of promoting it, as well as saying thank you.
‘Their business is Archewell, unlike Kate and William, whose business is the royal family. (Harry and Meghan’s) is also not a very aesthetically pleasing card. It’s very corporate and not at all personal. You wouldn’t keep it, it lacks the personal touch.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s card looked “business” and “professional”, according to branding expert Nick Ede.
Nick thought the photo of William and Kate was very personal and festive.
“William and Kate’s is much more personal and feels like a special moment captured and a card that you would keep and feel privileged to have received.”
Nick added that the Prince and Princess of Wales have really stepped up their Christmas card game this year by gifting the public with a special snapshot of themselves as parents.
‘The Prince and Princess of Wales have really upped their game when it comes to their Christmas cards.
‘This year they have shown, once again, a sincere photograph of the family and they have made it even more personal and profound due to the year they have had to live through.
‘Catherine has always put her family first and the sense of togetherness is reflected in this year’s card. “The card is full of joy and really resonates with fans of the family.”
Speaking in more detail about Harry and Meghan’s “professional” Christmas message, Nick said the couple will likely send a more family-oriented version to their closest friends.
He said: “The Duke and Duchess, on the other hand, have sent a card that is much more professional and Archewell-branded than they are personally, although they will probably send personal cards to those closest to them.”
It is understood that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also have a second private Christmas card for friends and family. Pictured during his visit to Colombia in August.
The Archewell Foundation’s season greetings included a photograph of the couple’s rarely seen children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, for the first time in years.
‘This card feels more like a branding card, highlighting themselves, who they are and the business they run.
“It’s lovely to see the kids and their dynamic, but it doesn’t seem as festive or as joyful as William and Kate’s.”
On the card from the Prince and Princess of Wales, they posted online and wrote: “Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas,” with the words inside the card reading: “Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and New Year.”
While Harry and Meghan refrained from wishing people a Merry Christmas and instead used the phrase “Happy Holidays,” in a bid to be more inclusive.
It read: “On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and the Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.”
Body language expert Judi James previously told Femail that the greeting card offers a “round” of “the couple’s achievements” this year, with several photos showcasing their travels and engagements with the public.
An image of Meghan hugging a little girl during the Sussexes’ trip to Colombia this year reminds us of “their radiant glow and tactile, empathetic behaviors when hugging or touching people they have met on tour.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales in the original image, part of a video broadcast on September 9
Prince William, George, Charlotte, Louis and Kate during the ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 6, 2024 – the last time the family was seen
Meanwhile, with just one photo including their two children, Lilibet, three, and Archie, five, the couple remains vigilant in their continuing “intentions in terms of privacy for their children.”
“Ironically, this photo places the viewer at such a distance that it looks like a paparazzi photo, as if the couple is invading their own privacy here, but the feeling of the body language is one of idyllic bonding that is shared equally.”
While Sussex’s first Christmas card featuring Archie was “all about sharing with the viewer”, this year’s is a “total contrast” with just a distant shot of the two children running into their parents’ arms.
Judi said: “Now, in complete contrast, the two children are only seen from behind and instead of facing the world by exploring, they run into the arms of their parents in an expression of love and security.”
According to Judi, the couple’s attempt to push a “more personal narrative” seems “emphatic”, with Meghan leaning admiringly towards her husband in one photo, appearing “overwhelmed with love”.
“The gesture is reciprocated by a loving Harry who “reciprocates by kissing her on the head,” she explained.
“There’s a shot of one of their cutest PDAs of the year, when Meghan leans against her husband with her hands crossed over her chest, looking almost overwhelmed with love, and Harry reciprocates by kissing her on the head, again in a more Dominant and confident pose with one hand in the pocket.
Also commenting on Kate and William’s card, Judi said it reveals that the family is “getting even closer over the years.”
Prince Harry and Meghan pictured in San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia
Meghan presents a trophy to her husband at a polo match in April
“Every parent in a young family can relate to their poses and they all point at the camera to wish good news to all the recipients,” he added.
She described this year’s Christmas playground as “an almost nostalgic step back”, stripping them of their usual sophisticated stature, taking the family “back to those idyllic summer holidays when everyone played together and had fun like a young family”.
Additionally, the choice to recall moments in which Kate completed chemotherapy reveals her “emotionally complex” state of mind in “a very personal message to the audience.”
‘The body language seems more spontaneous than posed with a card in mind. The family breakdown, as to who poses and where, seems to have been decided naturally, rather than the formally posed alignments of the past.
“Here there is almost no definition of age or hierarchical order. William and Kate sit with their children as their children. The signals of support and protection seem almost mutual.”
Judi also highlighted the importance of children’s “touch rituals”, with Princess Charlotte sitting between her mother and older brother Prince George.
“The way Charlotte has sat in the middle with her arms around her brother and mother’s necks suggests a desire to keep them both as close as possible and protect them both as well.”
Likewise, Kate’s pose reveals a loving, maternal stature as if she were a “mother hen, with one arm around her two oldest children and the other reaching out toward Louis.”
Suggesting their marriage is as strong as ever, Kate also has her hands “resting on William’s thigh to show continued attraction and affection.”
Meanwhile, “William’s ‘wing’ arm goes around Louis, but his left hand covers Kate’s hip in a tender gesture of affection.”
‘Louis’ cheeky smile contrasts with the other four, whose smiles are tempered with a more reflective and even sad look of happiness, showing the emotions they must have shared over the past year.
‘Kate’s head is tilted and hers is a more wistful, thoughtful smile, as William, Charlotte and George lose any hint of ‘Say cheese!’ and show the upper teeth, the lips closed but also with a widening of the lips to indicate happiness.’