King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla have shared their 2022 Christmas card, which features a subtle tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth.
In the snap, taken by Sam Hussein, the royals could be seen dressed in coordinating red and green outfits at the Braemar Games on 3 September 2022, five days before the death of Her Majesty. Camilla opted for a forest midi coat with a contrasting red trim and buttons, which she teamed with brown knee-high boots, while her husband's tartan kilt and red socks were a nod to the Scottish games.
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At the time, they were pictured enjoying the celebrations alongside Princess Anne, but there was one crucial member of the family who was missing. The Queen was planning to attend the gathering in Scotland, but she cancelled her appearance just days before after suffering from mobility problems.
Scotland was thought to be one of the monarch's favourite places, and it is where she spent numerous summers enjoying long walks, barbecues and games – including the Braemar Games. The event was cancelled for two years in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, so it's likely that the Queen was disappointed to miss out on attending once again.
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© Sam HusseinKing Charles and Camilla have chosen this photo for their official Christmas card
Photo: Sam Hussein
Less than one week after cancelling her appearance, the 96-year-old monarch died at Balmoral Castle with her children Charles and Anne by her side. Her death certificate later revealed her cause of death was "old age", but Gyles Brandreth's biography of the monarch, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, suggested that Her Majesty had also been battling a form of bone marrow cancer, called myeloma.
The royals at the Braemar Gathering in 2019
In the book, he writes: "I had heard that the Queen had a form of myeloma — bone marrow cancer — which would explain her tiredness and weight loss and those 'mobility issues' we were often told about during the last year or so of her life."
As King Charles marks his first Christmas as monarch this year, he is keeping his late mother in his thoughts by choosing to continue the Queen's traditional royal gathering at Sandringham.
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