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The Queen Mother at Castle of Mey in Xmas 1986.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen Mother is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Tamron Hall

Royal Christmas greetings

Take a look through a collection of holiday cards showing off some of the royal family's more intimate moments, from Charles and Diana’s wedding to the queen enjoying the outdoors.

/ 19 PHOTOS
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Happy newly wed couple  - Xmas 1981.

A poignant collection of Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and signed by Charles and Diana is coming up for auction. 

The cards show the Xmas portraits from the earliest days of the marriage in 1982 and catologue the birth of William and Harry in the following years. 

The happy smiling cards give no hint to the bitterness and tragedy that would engulf the couple in later years.

Royal Christmas greetings

Like families around the world, Britain's royals send out Christmas greetings to their nearest and dearest. A collection of 17 cards that the royals gave to a member of their staff from 1981 to 1998 show some of the family's more intimate moments, from Charles and Diana’s wedding, to the queen and her husband enjoying the outdoors. The collection was auctioned off on Dec. 13, for $4,052 to an American buyer.

Full of hope

Charles and Diana chose their wedding portrait for their 1981Christmas greeting.

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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
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Happy couple with William - Xmas 1982.

A poignant collection of Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and signed by Charles and Diana is coming up for auction. 

The cards show the Xmas portraits from the earliest days of the marriage in 1982 and catologue the birth of William and Harry in the following years. 

The happy smiling cards give no hint to the bitterness and tragedy that would engulf the couple in later years.

And baby makes three

A year after their wedding, Prince Charles and Diana chose a photo with new baby William for their 1982 Christmas card.

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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
Pic: Phil Yeomans/BNPS

Happy couple with William - Xmas 1983.

A poignant collection of Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and signed by Charles and Diana is coming up for auction. 

The cards show the Xmas portraits from the earliest days of the marriage in 1982 and catologue the birth of William and Harry in the following years. 

The happy smiling cards give no hint to the bitterness and tragedy that would engulf the couple in later years.

Proud papa

Prince Charles, wearing his Scottish kilt, looks on proudly as his wife holds their 1 year-old son, William, in this 1983 Christmas card.

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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
Pic: Phil Yeomans/BNPS

Happy couple with William and new baby Harry - Xmas 1984.

A poignant collection of Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and signed by Charles and Diana is coming up for auction. 

The cards show the Xmas portraits from the earliest days of the marriage in 1982 and catologue the birth of William and Harry in the following years. 

The happy smiling cards give no hint to the bitterness and tragedy that would engulf the couple in later years.

New addition

Born just three months before Christmas, Prince Harry makes his first appearance on a royal Christmas card in this 1984 greeting. An excited Prince William hams it up for the camera.

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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
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Happy couple with William and Harry- Xmas 1985.

A poignant collection of Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and signed by Charles and Diana is coming up for auction. 

The cards show the Xmas portraits from the earliest days of the marriage in 1982 and catologue the birth of William and Harry in the following years. 

The happy smiling cards give no hint to the bitterness and tragedy that would engulf the couple in later years.

Happy on horseback

Prince William holds on to his baby brother, Prince Harry, as they pose on a pony next to their parents in 1985, the year William started school. His mother described the young prince in a TV interview that year as a "typical 3-year-old," who was "not at all shy and very polite. Whereas Harry is more quiet and just watches."

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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
Pic: Phil Yeomans/BNPS

The Queen Mother at Castle of Mey in Xmas 1986.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen Mother is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Christmas Corgis

The Queen Mother sits happily with her Corgis in her gardens at the Castle of Mey, in northern Scotland, where she spent several weeks each summer, in this 1986 Christmas card.

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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)
Pic: Phil Yeomans/BNPS

Happy family with William and Harry - Xmas 1986.

A poignant collection of Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and signed by Charles and Diana is coming up for auction. 

The cards show the Xmas portraits from the earliest days of the marriage in 1982 and catologue the birth of William and Harry in the following years. 

The happy smiling cards give no hint to the bitterness and tragedy that would engulf the couple in later years.

Growing up

Prince Charles and Diana pose with their two young sons and their dog in this 1986 photo. Years later, it came out that despite their happy smiles, the royal couple's marriage was already on the rocks, just five years after their fairy-tale wedding.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1986.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Blazing saddles

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip chose this image from the queen's official birthday celebration, the Trooping of the Colour, for their 1986 Christmas card.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1987.
The rather formal picture shows their grandchildren with the Queen and Prince Philip.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Kilts for all

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pose with their grandchildren, Princes William and Harry, and Peter and Zara Phillips, in this more formal photo used on their 1987 card. “Looking at these cards, one really does get the idea that they were a happy family,” says Rupert Perry-Warnes, salesroom manager at Duke's, where the lot of 17 cards was auctioned.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1989.


A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Vintage Christmas

In 1989, the queen chose a black and white photo with Prince Philip for her Christmas greetings.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1990.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Down time

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip relax with one of their Corgis in this photo that graced their 1990 Christmas card. “They seem much more relaxed in these photos than one usually sees them,” says Rupert Perry-Warnes, salesroom manager at Duke's, where the lot of 17 cards was auctioned.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1991.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Annual tradition

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip share a laugh as they leave St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, after the annual service of the Order of the Garter, in this 1991 image.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1994.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

On the move

The royal couple make their way around in a Range Rover, surrounded by colorful flags, in this 1994 photo.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1995.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Formal greetings

In this portrait, the queen poses with the Duke of Edinburgh for their 1995 Christmas card. That year, the queen wrote to both Charles and Diana, asking them to divorce.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1996.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Lover of the outdoors

The queen relaxes outdoors with her husband in this photo used for their card in 1996.

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Xmas card sent by the Queen and Prince Philip in 1997.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Difficult year

The queen chose this image for her annual greeting in 1997, four months after the death of Diana and a year after Prince Andrew split from his wife, Sarah Ferguson. The queen came under heavy criticism in the days and months following Diana's death for her seemingly cold reaction and inability to connect with the people's grief.

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A show of unity, without Diana and Sarah Ferguson, in  Xmas card sent by the Queen in 1998.

A Royal Xmas cards sent to a member of staff and hand signed by the Queen and Prince Philip is being auctioned by Dukes of Dorchester.

Show of unity

The queen poses with her children and grandchildren for this 1998 Christmas card.

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Christmas cards

Next generation

Prince Charles chose this image from the day of his son's wedding for his 2011 card. Here, he holds his wife Camilla's granddaughter, Eliza Lopes, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where William and his new bride Catherine made their first public appearance after their nuptials.

John Stillwell
Royal Xmas card

Off to the races

For their official 2013 Christmas card, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, chose a picture of them at last June's Royal Ascot horse races, viewing horses in the parade ring from the royal box. Prince Charles, 65, wore a morning coat from Anderson & Sheppard and a top hat, while Duchess Camilla sported a couture Anna Valentine chiffon dress with a green silk dress coat.

Stephen Lock / I-images / PA
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