Princess Anne’s Christmas cards this year opted for a subtle, poignant touch in keeping with her practical nature

Christmas might be over, but royal fans have received an unexpected late festive treat. Princess Anne didn’t publicly share her Christmas cards this year, but a first look at them has been revealed and they include a touching photo of the Princess Royal and her husband admiring a portrait of the late Queen. Another detail of the cards has delighted many fans, who pointed out that the royal dropped all formality and signed the card with a simple, down-to-earth “From, Anne.”

• Princess Anne’s Christmas cards for 2022 have been revealed, and they included a respectful and personal touch
• Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, opted to include a photo of them admiring a portrait of her late mother instead of posing for a new picture
• In other royal news, Prince Harry to target William and Kate most in new book as new details leak – and King Charles gets off lightly

Princess Anne hadn’t revealed the Christmas cards she sent out this year, but fans can now see what festive greetings the Princess Royal shared with those near and dear.

And, in typical Princess Anne fashion, she skipped the fuss of photoshoots or formality.

Whereas Prince William and Kate Middleton’s family photo with their three children all in matching denim delighted fans, and King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's adorable photo warmed the hearts, Anne kept things simple and quietly dignified.

Her photo showed herself and husband Sir Timothy Laurence pictured admiring a portrait of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth.

It shows Anne and husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, gazing at a portrait of her mother, Queen Elizabeth, which hangs in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.

Painted when the Queen was 87, it was the first of three portraits of the late monarch by Nicky Philipps. The commission, from the Royal Mail, was to paint a head-and-shoulders portrait, but the artist got “carried away and made it full-length, then added the corgis.”

Describing the experience at the time, the artist said, “Queen Elizabeth was obliging, curious, extremely knowledgeable and very funny, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

The result ended up having much more of the Queen’s personality captured, which could explain why Anne decided to use this as the foundation for her Christmas card this year – her first Christmas without her mother.   

While the photo itself speaks volumes, another detail in the first look at Anne’s Christmas cards has delighted many fans, as it shows how the Princess Royal prefers to keep things casual and personal.

The message does away with titles and any sign of protocol, opting for a simple message. The card read, "With best wishes for a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year, From Anne."

Of course, Princess Anne wasn’t the only royal to include the Queen in their Christmas cards this year.

Anne's younger brother, Prince Edward and sister-in-law, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, chose to share a very poignant photograph of themselves standing alongside the Queen in June – just two months before the monarch's death.