40 of the best royal family Christmas cards through the years

This postcard was sent to the British troops in 1914, when World War I was underway.

"May God protect you and bring you home safe," the card reads.

The 16-year-old princess sent this card to the Grenadier Guards regiment of the British Army.

Ten years later, her father, King George VI, passed away and she took over the throne.

The photo shows them on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

It shows the Queen and Prince Philip with their children, 17-year-old Prince Charles, 15-year-old Princess Anne, 5-year-old Prince Andrew, and 1-year-old Prince Edward.

In 1968, the royal family let cameras film their life at home, in a bid to modernize their image. The documentary was broadcast the following year.

At the time of this photograph, Charles was 23 and had graduated from the University of Cambridge a year prior. Anne was 21, Andrew was 11, and Edward was 7.

This image, which was taken in Bromont, Canada, includes Princess Anne's husband of three years, Mark Phillips, who stands behind Prince Edward.

The Queen has had more than 30 corgis since 1945.

Taken at Balmoral Castle, this image shows Queen Elizabeth with her husband and their children. Look closely and just behind Prince Edward's leg, you'll see Princess Anne's 2-year-old son, Peter Phillips, in the left of the photo.

The couple married in July 1981, when Charles was 32 and Diana was 20.

A newborn Prince Harry and 2-year-old Prince William no doubt charmed the recipients of this Christmas card.

The card was signed by Charles and Diana. By this time, they had been married for six years.

The portrait shows the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with their grandchildren — William, Harry, Peter Phillips, and Zara Phillips — at Balmoral in 1987.

Karsh posed alongside the photo in 1988, during the preview of his 80th birthday exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery in London.

Prince William was 6, and Prince Harry was 4.

Diana and Charles separated in 1992 but divorced in 1996.

This card, which was signed by Prince Charles, is among a series of royal Christmas cards going up for auction at Rowley's auction house in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in the UK on December 12.

This card, which was sent to an unidentified worker and signed by the Queen and Prince Philip, is also part of the December 12 auction. All money raised will go to the Norfolk Hospice in King's Lynn, which is just a few miles from the Queen's Sandringham Estate.

The card, which is also among those up for auction, shows the Queen Mother, who turned 99 in 1999. She died three years later, before her 102nd birthday.

The princes' mother had passed away two years prior.

This card is also among those up for auction this month. The cards are expected to fetch upto £200 each, or approximately $265.

"We anticipate a lot of interest in these and they are in excellent condition, as if they have just been pulled from the envelope," said Roddy Lloyd, managing director of the saleroom at Rowley's auction house.

Prince William was 21, while Prince Harry was 19.

As well as Prince William and Prince Harry, the photo shows Camilla's children, Laura and Tom Parker Bowles. This was the first time Camilla had appeared on Charles' Christmas card, despite their years-long relationship.

The Queen turned 80 in 2006, and she celebrated with a number of public and private events at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. The Queen's actual birthday is April 21, but her "official" birthday is the second Saturday in June, when the weather is likely to be better for celebrations.

Prince Harry, Prince William, and Peter Phillips (the son of Princess Anne) are seen in the back row. At the front, from left to right, stand Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Louise Windsor, and Zara Phillips.

As well as the Queen's children, the card shows Charles' wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, Anne's husband, Timothy Laurence, and Edward's wife, Sophie Wessex. This card is also part of Rowley's December 2020 auction.

The celebrations marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Her horse, Estimate, won easily.

The photo shows the couple in the Royal Box during the races at Royal Ascot, one of Britain's best known racecourses, on June 19, 2013.

In the photo, they are seen laughing during the Invictus Games Opening Ceremony in London on September 10, 2014.

The Invictus Games were launched that year by Prince Charles' son, Prince Harry.

The photo, which was released a week before Christmas, was taken on a private estate in August by a friend, according to Clarence House.

The portrait was taken at Kensington Palace. It shows 2-year-old George giggling alongside his little sister, Charlotte, who was 5 months old at the time the photo was taken.

During the trip, they met performers wearing traditional dress in Tvrda.

A copy of this card is among those up for auction in the UK — in total, there is a series of cards from the Queen from 1998 until 2018.

This sweet family moment graced the front of their Christmas thank-you cards, which were received in January 2017.

The photo was taken during the royal couple's trip to Whipsnade Zoo, where the Queen opened a new Centre for Elephant Care in April 2017.

The celebrations were held in Highgrove House, their private family residence in Gloucestershire, in July 2017.

The photograph shows the family at Kensington Palace. It was taken by Getty photographer Chris Jackson, who takes many of the personal photos released by the royal family.

The photo was taken during the summer in the garden of Clarence House.

This relaxed family portrait was taken at Anmer Hall. The property, which is on the royal family's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, was given to the couple as a wedding gift.

Prince Louis was born in April 2018. His big brother is 5 in this photo, while his big sister is 3.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose a photo from their wedding night for the front of their holiday card. It shows them watching fireworks on the grounds of Frogmore House, where their evening reception was held in May 2018.

They became the first British royals to ever visit Cuba in March 2019. In the photo, they're driving a vintage MG TD at the British Classic Car event in Havana.

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