William & Kate's Holiday Card Gets Brutally Mocked On SNL
It's safe to say that 2023 has been a rough year for the royal family. It started with the release of Prince Harry's tell-all memoir, "Spare," which revealed several heartbreaking details about his former palace life. Netflix's "The Crown" also made a comeback and reminded viewers of everything that Diana, Princess of Wales, had to endure while married to King Charles III. The Firm desperately needed a win by the time December rolled around, and what better to get it than with a Christmas Card?
Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales took to Instagram to share their 2023 card, which featured the adorable Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Sadly, even this relatively low-key move didn't work out in their favor because the holiday card had some Photoshop fails, like Louis' missing middle finger. Comedians had a field day with the fail, and "Saturday Night Live's" Colin Jost pointed it out during the "Weekend Update" section of the show. He joked, "And — this is sweet — Meghan Markle said she has a finger they can use if they need it," (via Newsweek). A Photoshopped picture of Meghan holding up her middle finger then popped up onscreen.
Social media users also marveled at the failure. On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user quipped: "Just a regular family with their regular people jeans on and other very regular things like missing fingers and such." Another argued that the finger was deliberately edited out because of the awkward positioning. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end because fans noticed another major defect in the photo.
Royal watchers also spotted an unexplained leg in the Christmas card photo
As soon as you notice Prince Louis' missing middle finger, it's easy to focus solely on it while ignoring everything else that's wrong with the Cambridges' Christmas card like the unexplained leg slotted between Louis and his father, Prince William. Some X users believe that the editor added an extra leg for some reason, but others were quick to point out that the limb actually belonged to William himself, who was wearing pants.
Another commenter reasoned that if the leg were William's, we should be able to see both of them because of the angle of the photo. They hilariously noted that it looked like the prince was performing a split because of the missing limb. Upon closer inspection, we learned that William wasn't showing off his acrobatic skills because you can see a hint of his trousered left leg behind Louis' chair. Either way, the Prince and Princess of Wales would probably give away an arm and a leg to erase the image from everyone's minds.
An insider confirmed to Us Weekly that the royal couple is understandably "embarrassed" at the public reaction. They added that the Cambridges "were as shocked as everyone else" because they didn't intend for their card to feature such heavy Photoshop. However, the royals seem to have enjoyed the shoot overall, according to their photographer, Josh Shinner's, Instagram post.
The royals reportedly wanted to send out a strong message with their Christmas card
Photoshop fails aside, the message that Prince William and Kate Middleton attempted to send with their Christmas card is pretty sweet. Speaking to The Sun, body language expert Judi James detailed her read of the beloved couple's outwardly simple holiday snap. She noted that over the years, the royal family's holiday cards have typically featured bright colors and lively poses, but 2023 marked a major turning point with a more laidback black-and-white photo.
James explained the significance of the choice: "The strong sense of tight, loving 'uniformed' grouping and the stark monochrome, plus the relaxed and confident body language looks like the emotional equivalent of them having a moat and drawbridge around them." The body language expert elaborated that the Cambridges' photo sought to convey their unity and strength as individuals, rather than just royal family members. James also noted that although they appeared unified, each member showcased their individuality through the subtleties in their poses.
Interestingly, she asserted that Charlotte's pose was reminiscent of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their own, Photoshop fail-free card shortly after William and Kate's, which led many to believe it was a power move. The Sussexes' joyful card featured a candid photo of them clapping at the Invictus Games closing ceremony, but it missed one key element. While Meghan and Harry's Christmas card appeared simple, too, a body language expert told us that it showed a "deliberate" split with William and Kate.