On the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Christmas card, the family is shot in black and white against a mottled grey background of a material that looks almost furry, like the belly of a mole.

They are dressed casually, each in an open-necked white shirt with jeans. And it can’t help but seem like a nod to the kind of card Harry and Meghan would send – indeed, they did matching denim two years ago, though both the setting and the body language were much more relaxed.

In the Wales family picture, released on Sunday, William is smiling like you owe him money. Kate looks quite showbiz and sassy, like she might have a shot at her own show, if she could just sort out a more believable ensemble. George, self-possessed, does not smile while Louis has unwilling participant at the orthodontist energy. Charlotte, however, has smile enough for the whole lot of them.

It sure as hell doesn’t look festive, with the banker-y, rather ominous monochrome. The insistent visual reference point is the Addams family, and the mood music is “these are dark times we’re living through, but not to worry, we are extremely rich”. Fair play, given the time of year; maybe they think “happy Christmas” is already implied, without the need for colour or twinkles.

But if not “season’s greetings”, they’re definitely trying to say something. Nobody wears a uniform without a purpose.

A white shirt and jeans is very on-trend, described by our fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley as “a friendly, open smile of an outfit: you are not trying to upstage, or to impress. You are just being yourself.” The look has been called “undone glamour” and “California cool”, and insofar as we can relate either of those phrases to a real-life meaning, it’s emphatically not what the Waleses are all about.

Their habitual look en famille is much more Little Piper Boy for the kids and William, with a side-order of understated newsreader glamour for Kate. This is not the Prince and Princess “being themselves”, this is them cosplaying some other family being theirselves – a family that prefers its top button undone and its hair fresh from the beach.

California cool rejects formality, but there is no ease in its place; rather, a studied, corporatised perfection. It must be quite stressful for its participants, the visual language of the Americanised en famille: here we are in our civvies, take us as you find us, warts and all, except – praise be! – we don’t have any warts.

And there is one California couple, all too eager to show their warts of late, that this can’t help but seem like a reference to. What new front this Christmas vibe-snatching opens up in the war between the brothers and their wives is anyone’s guess.

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Not everyone has managed to recognise the Prince and Princess of Wales’ hidden message in a Christmas card about their family.

It turns out that William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, sent out a “powerful signal” in their new Christmas card photo. This was revealed by body language expert Judy James. \

The black and white Christmas photo shows Prince William with his wife Princess Catherine, sons Prince George and Prince Louis and daughter Princess Charlotte. They are all smiling as they look into the camera. And they are all dressed in black trousers, shoes and white shirts. In the picture, William, Catherine and George are standing in the background while Charlotte is sitting on a chair in the foreground. Prince Louis stands in front of his father, who places his right hand on his shoulder.

But body language expert Judy James says the photo shows an underlying “strength and confidence”.

The expert says this monochrome photo may not suggest a typical Christmas image, but it is a very powerful signal that the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children would like to announce that they are a very strong and unbreakable family unit.

The strong sense of cohesion, love, absolute monochrome and relaxed and confident body language displays a huge amount of respect towards each other.

Here we are shown strength and absolute confidence without all the adornments and trappings of their royal status. We know they look superb in formal wear and royal regalia, but this is a casual and much simpler version and it proves that they have charisma with or without diamonds and medals.

A statement to the photo, released on behalf of William and Catherine, said that the Prince and Princess of Wales were very excited to share a new photo of their family. The photo, which is featured on Their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card this year, was taken by photographer Josh Shinner earlier this year and shows the Prince and Princess with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in Windsor.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla chose a photograph taken on Coronation Day at Buckingham Palace for their Christmas card. The picture shows Their Majesties in the throne room of the palace after the coronation.

The image, taken by photographer Hugo Bernan, captures the King and Queen standing side by side, with Charles wearing the Imperial Crown of State and Camilla wearing Queen Mary’s crown. The King is also depicted in his coronation tunic and estate mantle. A mantle of purple silk velvet embroidered in gold was worn by King George VI in 1937. The Queen is wearing a ceremonial gown sewn by Ede and Ravenscroft and hand embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. She is also wearing a coronation gown designed by Bruce Oldfield.