King Charles and Queen Camilla’s quiet move after skipping Catherine’s Christmas concert

King Charles and Queen Camilla have unveiled their official Christmas card after skipping the Princess of Wales’ annual Christmas carol concert without explanation.

The royal couple chose a photo taken by Chris Jackson at Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassador’s residence in Rome, during their state visit to Italy in April.

King Charles and Queen Camilla chose this photo, taken in Italy to mark their 20th wedding anniversary in April, for their 2025 Christmas card.Credit: Getty Images for Buckingham Palace

It’s their fourth Christmas card since Charles became King in September 2022, and the image, which shows Camilla wearing a lily of the valley brooch (symbolising enduring love), was captured to mark their 20th wedding anniversary.

Charles and Camilla are usually the first members of the royal family to release their annual Christmas card, in early December. Catherine and Prince William traditionally follow shortly after.

The Prince and Princess of Wales spent Friday evening (Saturday AEST) at Westminster Abbey in London, hosting Catherine’s Together at Christmas concert special, which is broadcast in the UK on Christmas Eve, and in Australia on Christmas Day.

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Inaugurated in 2021 by Catherine to thank those in the UK who went above and beyond serving their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the service has evolved into an annual review of who’s who of the British elite.

Photographers lie in wait to see who’s nabbed an invitation – and who the no-shows are.

It’s a rare opportunity for the masses to see William and Catherine, both 43, with their three children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven – whose official public appearances are infrequent, limited to special occasions including Trooping the Colour.

Among the 1600 guests were Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike Tindall, though Zara’s mother, Princess Anne, was absent.

The Princess Royal, often billed as the hardest-working member of the royal family, is fresh off a low-key, four-day visit to Australia.

She had attended the state banquet held at Windsor Castle on Wednesday night for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his wife, Elke Büdenbender. Thursday was spent hosting the first investiture ceremony at St James’s Palace in more than four years.

Other royal guests of note included Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto; Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin Prince Michael of Kent; Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester; and Lord Frederick Windsor.

Princess Catherine’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, also attended, as did her brother, James Middleton, and his wife, financial analyst Alizée Thevenet. Catherine’s sister, Pippa Matthews, did not attend.

Of the five Christmas carol services Catherine has hosted at Westminster Abbey, Charles and Camilla have attended only one – the 2022 concert, which was dedicated to the late Queen, who had died aged 96 three months earlier.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, has not attended any, though his wife, Sophie, has been at them all.

Considering recent events, it’s no surprise that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, were not in attendance. The former Duke of York’s last remaining royal titles were stripped on Tuesday, and he is set to move out of Royal Lodge in Windsor in the first quarter of 2026.

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Although his daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, are not working royals and do not carry out official duties on behalf of Charles, it’s not unusual to see them at events like this.

Beatrice in particular has attended every Christmas concert since Catherine’s first in 2021. This year, both she and Eugenie were absent.

“Wish Bea and I could have been celebrating tonight with our family,” Eugenie wrote on her Instagram Story. She is the only family member who didn’t attend to publicly acknowledge their absence.

“Wishing [the Prince and Princess of Wales] such a special evening at her incredible carol service. What an amazing message of love and hope.”

Had Beatrice and Eugenie attended, they would have, as does every guest of the service, received a letter from Catherine. This year’s note highlighted how a “moment of listening” and “word of comfort” can make a difference in the lives of others.

Catherine wrote: “At a time when life can sometimes feel fragmented or uncertain, the Christmas season invites us to remember the power of reaching out to one another with generosity of heart, understanding and hope.”

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