2020 will go down in the history books for the most volatile and unpredictable year yet.
But despite the COVID-19 pandemic turning life as we know it on its head, some things will always remain the same.
As the year draws to a close, Christmas celebrations may look very different this year but the British Royal Family are still embracing their traditions – including releasing their yearly Christmas card.
Today, Clarence House have released The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s 2020 Christmas card – and it’s nothing short of beautiful.
The stunning and joyful image was captured by a staff member in the garden at the couples’ Birkhall estate in Scotland.
In the photo, Charles and Camilla are framed by a sea of bright flowers as they share a warm embrace. And one thing is clear – after 15 years of marriage, these two are still head-over-heels in love.
Prince Charles, 72, cuts a casual figure in a tan-coloured blazer, a chequered shirt and beige trousers. While Duchess Camilla, 73, looks elegant in a crisp navy blazer teamed with denim jeans.
The look of love: Merry Christmas from the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
(Image: Clarence House)Indeed, there’s no doubt that like so many of us Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla are looking forward to welcoming 2021 with open arms.
And like so many families around the world, the royals have felt the impacts of COVID first-hand.
Both Prince Charles and his oldest son, Prince William, contracted the virus earlier in the year.
Thankfully, they both made a healthy recovery.
“Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus, luckily with relatively mild symptoms, I now find myself on the other side of the illness but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation,” Prince Charles said at the time.
Prince Charles and his wife Duchess Camilla will spend a quiet Christmas together at their Highgrove home in Gloucestershire.
(Image: Getty)Due to Prince Charles’ age, he and Duchess Camilla have spent much of the year isolating at their many country estates, including Birkhall in Scotland.
Despite a year of cancelled public engagements, the royal couple managed to fit in a brief official visit to Berlin to mark Germany’s national day of mourning on November 15.
“The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Germany to attend The Central Remembrance Ceremony in Berlin to commemorate the annual National Day of Mourning on 15th November,” the message stated.
“TRH will also attend the wreath-laying ceremony at the Neue Wache Memorial,” the tweet added.
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla also made another rare (albeit socially distanced) family appearance when they met with Prince William, Duchess Catherine, Princess Anne and The Queen at the end of the Cambridges’ royal train tour around the UK to thank first responders and health workers.
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla meet with The Queen in Windsor, England at the end of Prince William and Duchess Catherine’s royal train tour of the United Kingdom.
(Image: Getty)For decades, the British Royal Family usually gather for a jam-packed week of celebrations at the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
However for Christmas this year, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla will spend the day at their Highgrove home in Gloucestershire.
While the extended British family can’t be together due to COVID-19 restrictions, it’s believed Charles will still pay a visit to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in Windsor over the holiday period.
In what feels like a lifetime ago, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla’s 2019 Christmas card was snapped during a tour of Cuba.
(Image: Clarence House)
