ComScore

Royal Family Unveils Christmas Card Photo of Queen Elizabeth and Baby King Charles from 1949

The portrait was taken three years before Elizabeth became queen

King Charles Kissing Hand of Mom Queen Elizabeth CAT2
Sang Tan/WPA Pool/Getty Images

For this holiday season, the British royal family gave us a blast from the past with a throwback portrait featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles as an infant.

In honor of the royal family unveiling their annual Christmas card earlier this month, the Royal Collection Trust released not one, but two holiday greetings sent in the early 1900s. The first card (posted on the charity’s official Instagram page) shows a grainy portrait of a then-Princess Elizabeth smiling and holding up baby Charles.

Per the caption, the portrait was chosen for her Christmas card released in 1949, approximately three years before Elizabeth became the Queen of England. Meanwhile, the second slide features an old portrait (taken in December of 1938, but sent out in 1939) of King George VI posing next to his wife and two daughters. And standing beside Princess Elizabeth is her very first corgi named Dookie

As we said before, this royal throwback was shared right after King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, unveiled their Christmas card for 2023. The portrait, which was posted on the royal family’s IG page, shows the king, 75, and queen, 76, dressed in royal regalia while posing in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace. 

The photo, snapped by royal photographer Hugo Burnand, was apparently taken just moments after the newly crowned monarch’s coronation on May 6, 2023. Meanwhile, the left side of the card reads, “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”

Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.



karelle headshot

Assistant Editor, News And Entertainment

  • Covers all things news and entertainment
  • Has over 5+ years of reporting on celebrity news and pop culture
  • Studied Journalism at Brooklyn College

news
/ Danielle Long
Meghan Markle Shares Rare Photo of Herself As a Girl Scout And I Can't Get Over This One Detail
news
/ Danielle Long
Netflix’s #1 Movie Has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes—and It’ll Have You Laughing Till It Hurts
news
/ Danielle Long
Selena Gomez Is Channeling Meghan Markle With This Major Spring Beauty Trend
news
/ Danielle Long
Chrissy Teigen Just Shared a New Pic of Her Youngest—And This Baby’s Got *Major* Cool Kid Energy
news
/ Danielle Long
Meghan Markle Opens Up About Alarming Health Condition on New Podcast: 'I Was Scared'
news
/ Nakeisha Campbell
I Noticed an Interesting Detail About King Charles & Queen Camilla's Body Language in Italy
news
/ Danielle Long
Meghan Markle Sends a Message After As Ever Orders Are Cancelled—And It Includes a Sweet Surprise
news
/ Danielle Long
Michelle Williams’s Airline Nightmare Incident Has Everyone Agreeing on This One Thing
news
/ Nakeisha Campbell
Mike White Just Teased the Location for ‘The White Lotus’ Season 4 (& It's Not What You Think)
news
/ Danielle Long
Kate Middleton's Daily Beauty Routine Was Just Revealed—and It Seriously Took Me by Surprise
news
/ Rachel Bowie
Prince William Just Hired Princess Diana’s Divorce Lawyers—But It’s Not for the Reason You Think
news
/ Danielle Long
'White Lotus' Star Reacts to Character's Death and Reveals Never-Before-Seen BTS Moments
news
/ Rachel Bowie
Um, Kate Middleton’s Iconic Roller Disco Shirt Showed Up on eBay This Week—with a $100 Asking Price
news
/ Clara Stein
A Serious Prince George Decision Is on the Horizon, According to a New Royal Report
news
/ Danielle Long
A 'Dawson's Creek' Reunion with Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and More May Be on the Horizon
news
/ Clara Stein
Kensington Palace Posts Prince William and Kate Middleton Videos Just Days Apart—But Hers Is a Much Bigger Deal
See More