The Royal Family's Christmas Card Photos Are Ridiculously Sweet

A lot has happened in the royal family this year — a wedding and a new baby and a pregnancy announcement? That's big stuff, and now, it seems like the family is ready to celebrate as they say goodbye to 2018. On Friday, the royal family released their Christmas card photos, and not only does that mean a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton's crew including Prince Louis, but it also includes a look at the first card sent by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as a married couple.

Kensington Palace shared the photos on their official Twitter account, starting with William's family. In the photo, he and Middleton are posing with their children, and all three of them are smiling, even Prince Louis. They opted for a casual look for the photo, with Middleton, William, and Prince George all wearing jeans — and Charlotte in a denim skirt while Louis is in tights.

The palace tweeted:

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to share a new photograph of their family. The photograph, taken by Matt Porteous, shows The Duke and Duchess with their three children at Anmer Hall, and features on Their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card this year."

It's an adorable photo, and gives fans a peek into what their daily life must be like when they're not attending public events. In a photo like this one, they could be any family — and they look so comfortable and happy together. But how did Middleton and William get all three of their children to smile for a picture at the same time? The world may never know.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared their Christmas card photo as well, but it's a lot less casual. This year, they opted for a picture that was taken at their wedding reception, in classic black and white.

The palace tweeted:

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are delighted to share a new photograph from their Wedding Reception at Frogmore House on 19th May. The photograph, which features on Their Royal Highnesses’ Christmas card, was taken by photographer Chris Allerton."

In the photo, Markle and Harrys' backs are to the camera as they look at fireworks in the sky with their arms around each other. It seems like the perfect picture to use to say goodbye to one year and hello to another — especially since, in 2019, they'll become parents.

It's hard to believe that Markle and Harry have already been married for seven months, but anytime they want to share new, unseen wedding photos is probably just fine by royal family fans. This time last year, they were celebrating their first Christmas together as an engaged couple, and now, they're married and expecting their first child.

After everything this family has been up to this year, it's going to be fun to see what 2019 will bring for them — and what next year's Christmas cards will look like when Markle and Harry's little one finally joins the party.