The Prince and Princess of Wales kicked off the holiday season with a delightful Christmas card featuring their children, although one minor detail might have slipped past some viewers.

Captured by photographer Josh Shinner in Norfolk last April, the image shows Kate and Prince William joyfully posing with their kids: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

The family is seated on the grass surrounded by springtime daffodils, with young Louis proudly displaying his toothy grin.

Sharp-eyed royal enthusiasts noticed another heartwarming element in the photo: Prince George, dressed in denim jeans, a checkered shirt, and a brown vest, was also sporting a fabric friendship bracelet.

This simple blue beaded bracelet, worn on George’s wrist, carries significant meaning regarding his connections with other royal family members.

In fact, just the day before, King Charles was spotted donning a woven orange and red accessory during a visit to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in London, underscoring the special bond he shares with his grandson.

The monarch also wore a similar one during a visit to Guernsey with Queen Camilla last year and during a visit to the Channel Islands – thought to have been made by his granddaughter, Charlotte, and inspired by a tradition at pop singer Taylor Swift’s concerts. 

Charlotte herself was seen wearing one in a similar style while on a trip to Wimbledon last summer.

The Prince and Princess of Wales marked the official start of the festive season yesterday by releasing their annual Christmas card featuring their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Prince George, who wore denim jeans, a checked shirt and a brown gilet, was also seen wearing a fabric friendship bracelet 

Dressed in a navy polka-dot frock, Charlotte wore two of the threaded bracelets, one featuring various shades of pink and another featuring green, blue and pink fabric.

Meanwhile, even Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, has been known to wear a fabric bangle, having been seen doing so at numerous engagements. 

It’s an accessory that appears to have become a popular staple for Prince George, with the eldest of William and Kate’s children also seen wearing it in his 11th and 12th birthday portraits, as well as during an appearance at the Euro 2024 final with his father in Berlin.

Friendship bracelets have seen a resurgence in popularity since last summer, driven by Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour.

However, the royal versions are not believed to be identical to those made by fans attending Taylor’s concerts.

The bracelets swapped by Swifties tend to feature beads with lettering spelling out our lyrics and song names, while Charlotte, George and Charles’s accessories are made from plain-coloured thread.

The image on this year’s Christmas card appeared to be taken by the same photographer as the one used for George’s birthday portrait in July and Louis’s seventh birthday in April.

The new image was released two days after William and Kate joined other royals at the King’s annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

King Charles, 75, has been spotted wearing what appears to be a ‘friendship bracelet’ during recent engagements (left), believed to have been made by Charlotte, (right)

Just yesterday, King Charles was seen wearing a woven orange and red accessory during a visit to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in London

Charles III and Queen Camilla chose their 20th wedding anniversary portrait for their official Christmas card this year, which was released to the public on December 6.

One day earlier, the Waleses and their children joined a congregation of celebrities, sporting stars and community stalwarts for Kate’s Together at Christmas service.

Kate presided over the carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 5, with 1,600 guests filling the pews where the Princess and her husband married in 2011.

William, Kate and the children are expected to join the King and Queen along with other members of the Royal Family at Sandringham in Norfolk for Christmas Day.

Charles is also thought to have invited Camilla’s children and their families, as well as his nieces Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – but not their disgraced father Andrew.

The Waleses could also appear for the Christmas Day service alongside Charles which involves a traditional walkabout after church where they meet well-wishers.

The family of five experienced a major change just a few weeks ago when they moved into their eight-bedroom ‘forever home’, Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park. 

The change is seen as a fresh start for them after Kate’s recovery from cancer, which she announced at the start of 2025, following what William branded a ‘brutal’ 2024.

Andrew meanwhile has been forced to give up his Windsor home, Royal Lodge, following an outcry when it emerged he had been paying a peppercorn rent for the property, and will move to a house on the King’s private Sandringham estate.

He was stripped of his titles in the wake of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir being released which detailed previous claims she was forced to have sex with the former prince on three occasions, including when aged 17. Andrew vehemently denies the allegations.