to think William and Kate's Christmascard this year was badly judged?

[tinkywinkyshandbag]

So not only has William been hectoring us about climate change and sustainable travel, but there's been a pandemic which has been a pandemic which for many people has been financially devastating, and for most of us a holiday seems a distant pipe dream. So this year of all years they have chosen a photo of themselves all looking tanned and relaxed on a (presumably free) holiday. Just feels a tad ill judged?

All this frothing about a family's choice of a Christmas card leads me to wonder whether my own cards will come in for similar scrutiny and criticism.

The central illustration on mine is a large steaming Christmas pudding; could this be seen as insensitive and tone-deaf in view of the obesity crisis? Or, given my own size and shape, will there be cruel speculation as to how many puds I've shovelled away in my time?

I'm getting worried now...

I can’t believe so many people take umbrage with a fairly bland Christmas card

I can't believe people are using this thread about W&K to have a poke at H&M (who support themselves) calling them 'embarrassing celebrities' in 'cringeworthy shows' when this thread is nothing to do with W&K's christmas card.

On second thoughts... yes I can believe it, well done you for managing to shoehorn them in to this thread! Hope you feel better for that!

when this thread is EVERYTHING to do with W&K's christmas card, and NOTHING* to do with H&M.

Well I think folk who aren't keen on William and Kate should have their say. Even 23 pages on a Christmas card. It wasn't very Christmassy was it.

@Roussette

I actually didn’t shoehorn them in - I just felt the need to present another side after 5 pages or more of people bringing up Harry and Meghan and how wonderful they are in comparison to will snd Kate!

@ShirleyPhallus

Sorry, you’re right. Now that I think about it I think the thing I read was they don’t take any advice re their image etc

@Justheretoaskaquestion91 They use a crisis management firm called Sunshine Sachs.

I think people wouldn’t be bothered about the card if the response to the stresses and strains experienced by the public as a consequence of the pandemic had been met with a more robust response from the Royals.

There’s been a moral vacuum at the centre of the establishment throughout. We have a government that values utility and pleasure-seeking.

There was definitely an opportunity for the Royals to step up to the plate. While there have been some token gestures of civic duty, they could have provided, and exemplified through their actions, a more uplifting narrative, encouraging resilience, empathy and social cohesion.

Had this occurred in a sustained way, the choice of card would be an irrelevance.

@PigeonLittle

To save someone a Google

Well this is arrogant. But it's the royal family so I'm not surprised

And that there's a suggestion that a sheepskin rug evokes a colonial past...

Sheepskin rugs colonial ? 😂 The type that babies lie on ? Considering that we are a country that eats lamb, sheepskin rugs would be a good way to use the whole sheep.

I'm not sure why people are saying its not very Christmassy, it doesn't get much more Christmassy than the middle east, where Jesus was born, surely?!

I mean I'm not up on my geography and its been a long time since I read the story, but didn't they have to walk through Jordan to get to Bethlehem?

@luverlybubberly

And that there's a suggestion that a sheepskin rug evokes a colonial past...

Sheepskin rugs colonial ? 😂 The type that babies lie on ? Considering that we are a country that eats lamb, sheepskin rugs would be a good way to use the whole sheep.

The Spenser family made their fortune originally from sheep and wool so there's a connection

The photo is taken in Jordan. Someone in Jordan is more likely to have profited from the sale of that sheepskin. Are the items they posed on there for all tourists or did the photographer provide them for the VIP photoshoot?

I use spices and tea /coffee that can be connected to empire. Should people be boycotting those items?

I don't care about it being in Jordan and all the ramifications some of you are making. I just think the happy tanned super rich family on yet another holiday just doesn't chime with the general mood of the country just now. I don't want to see them miserable outside asda or something, but i dont need their super lives rubbed in my face right now. I thought they were a bit wiser than this.

I mean theres lots of pictures of the queen mum walking around London during the blitz, meeting people. Ok, she was living a life no one could imagine, but in those photographs she appeared in touch with the people, sharing their experiences. I dont think this xmas card shows william and kate in touch .

Its an odd choice isnt it? Summer holiday photo for the xmas card ?

Who on earth does their PR? Couldn't they just have gotten a nice one of them sitting in a garden or something?

All this frothing about a family's choice of a Christmas card leads me to wonder whether my own cards will come in for similar scrutiny and criticism.

I'm so sorry to sound blunt @mrsgusset, but, with all the will in the world, you will never be representing the people of Britain as their God-annointed first family.

Thus, your Christmas cards will most likely gladly received and cherished by those you know and love. I don't think you can really need to consider optics and a PR angle in quite the same way as W&K should.

Its an odd choice isnt it? Summer holiday photo for the xmas card ?

I live abroad where people don't tend to send Christmas cards as much, but when they do it tends to be in the form of a family photo card, usually taken during their summer hidays. It is really quite common (and practical if you think about it). So.definitely not an odd choice in other parts of the world.

@ssd

I mean theres lots of pictures of the queen mum walking around London during the blitz, meeting people. Ok, she was living a life no one could imagine, but in those photographs she appeared in touch with the people, sharing their experiences. I dont think this xmas card shows william and kate in touch .

Really ssd? 'Just one of us' no doubt. If that happened , and I don't doubt it was squeezed for all the PR it was worth , there have been many quite different reports of her snobbery and rudeness.

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/sep/15/tanya-gold-queen-mother

This family needs to go . It's an embarrassment to this so called democracy.

Get rid of the lot of them

And re the guardian article I linked - I always read the comments in preference to the article ! The comments are usually better no matter what the topic

I don't want to see them miserable outside asda

This could cheer up the nation and we all need it right now.

This is Charles and Camilla's Christmas card.

The Queen mum walked around during the blitz in response to public outrage that the RF family were hiding away and were nowhere to be seen. There was concern about the rising anti Royalty sentiment, that died down after those walkabouts.

@torquewench

Is this a RF bashing thread or can I say it's a lovely family photo and retreat unscathed?

You are right - it's a lovely photo. And I wish that people would discuss Republicanism rather than make personal attacks on the royals.