Do royals need Christmas portraits?

It's become something of an expectation but the release of three sets of photos this Christmas remind us that official pictures of royals at the festive season are the exception rather than the norm. OK, we might get new portraits on official Christmas cards or reworkings of images from important events on the holiday season missives (see Felipe and Letizia in Spain this year for the latest example of that) but brand new, sparkling and for this holiday season only specials are rare. Which makes 2014 a bit of a bonanza.

An official Christmas portrait of the extended Danish and Greek royal families taken to mark Christmas 2014 which they spent together at Fredensborg, Denmark

First of all, the extended family gathering at Fredensborg in Denmark that brought together Queen Margrethe II's family with that of her sister, Anne-Marie of Greece, resulted in a special snapshot of all the royals together in front of a Christmas tree. The insight into a royal festive holiday was a special moment and captured the generations together in one moment in time. Not long afterwards, a special New Year photo of the Swedish Royal Family was released - it was taken earlier in the year and for the first time features Sofia Hellqvist, the royal bride of 2015.

Happy family, Happy New Year - the Swedish royals come over all festive with a special snap to mark the beginning of 2015

Of course, Sweden's royals have a lot to celebrate as the new year begins. That wedding is just one reason after Princess Madeleine announced her second pregnancy just before Christmas and just afterwards confirmed that she and her husband and daughter will be moving back to Europe.  And another family with lots to look forward to in 2015 also treated us to unexpected Christmas goodies. The decision of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to release three photos of Prince George ahead of the festive season as a thank you for the press leaving their son to grow up without constant following or photographing was a surprise. But has it set a precedent? 

Prince George of Cambridge in one of the three Christmas photos he starred in as 2014 came to an end

Royals used to dictate how they did things but now the ever growing interest in their lives and the constant demand for news means that things like Christmas portraits are becoming more of an expectation. Whether the trend will continue next year is an unknown but the more that things like festive snaps are released, the more they become accepted as a normal part of the royal calendar. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it's pretty good all round. The photos provide a staging post, a chance to compare what's changed and what hasn't and also gives the royal houses of Europe a chance to be seen without necessarily being followed for that to happen. Christmas is a time for smiles, joy and friendliness. A little festive portrait or two can only help that.