Royal Family of Spain: Special Photo for Christmas Card

The Spanish royal family released their 2024 Christmas card on Monday. King Felipe VI is framed on it. (56) and his wife Queen Letizia (52) bring in their two daughters Leonor (19) and Sofía (17), so that the princesses take center stage, as they did last year. Spain has had a difficult year: heavy rainfall, landslides and floods destroyed large parts of the province of Valencia on October 29th. More than 200 people died in the disaster and entire residential areas were destroyed. The citizens’ anger over the accident and the slow pace of help was also unleashed on the royal couple, who were pelted with mud during a visit to the crisis area.

Of course, nothing of this can be seen on the card: As every year, the royals send their best wishes for the holidays and a successful new year with their Christmas card. The 2024 edition conveys confidence and optimism despite the crisis. It contains a previously unpublished photo of the Spanish royal family, in which the four of them stand close together and smile at the camera. While the king holds the arm of the youngest, the queen hugs the heir to the throne, Leonor. The two women are special eye-catchers in blue (Letizia) and red (Leonor). The image was taken on an important day for the Crown: the 10th anniversary of the proclamation of Felipe VI. to the king on June 19th.

On the left side of the card is an excerpt from the poem “A Trace of Happiness” by the Spanish poet Francisco Brines (1932-2021). The royal family seems to be remembering the flood tragedy. In any case, Spanish media understand the emotional lines as a homage to the deceased and the families affected by the floods. “And I’m looking for a face that reflects light, for someone who, like me, has only death but, like I had, also has life.”

On the right side there is also the following text in Spanish and English: “Merry Christmas; together we will start the new year 2025 with confidence. With our best wishes and great affection.”

2024 was not just a year of dramatic events. The royal couple also had special royal occasions for memories: their wedding anniversary was the 20th anniversary and the proclamation was the tenth anniversary. Since their wedding on May 22, 2004, Felipe and Letizia have brought Christmas wishes every year: the first nine years as the princely couple of Asturias, the rest as the royal couple of Spain. In 2007, her daughters, born in 2005 and 2007, posed on the card for the first time.