Kate Middleton and Prince William took a secret trip to Jordan this year

Kate Middleton and Prince William often take family photos for their christmas card at Anmer Hall, their hometown on Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. But this year’s snapshot of the couple and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis was taken thousands of miles from home in Jordan.

According to a statement from Kensington Palace, the Cambridge family have made an unannounced trip to the Middle Eastern country sometime in 2021. “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to share a new photo of their family.” it reads. “The photograph, featured on this year’s Royal Christmas card, shows the Duke and Duchess with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in Jordan earlier this year.”

While her father, Michael Middleton, worked at British Airways in the early 1980s, Kate lived in Amman for a few years during kindergarten, and In 2011, the family shared a photo of Kate with Michael and her sister, Pippa Middleton, at the country’s ancient Jerash ruins. William visits the country for the last time on his royal tour in June 2018, just months after Louis’s birth, and said his wife was “very sorry” that she couldn’t join him on tour. “Her family is very fond of the nearly three years she was here as a child,” he added.

William and Kate also took their family on a couple of vacations closer to home during that time. As they did in 2020, they visited Scilly Island off the coast of Cornwall, and in August they participated Queen Elizabeth and some other family members at Balmoral Estate in Scotland. In September, a source told Vanity Fair that Kate also taught her family how to sail during their time in Norfolk.

The source said: ‘All the kids ran in and out of the water with their dogs and spent hours playing in the sand. “They are clearly a family that loves being outdoors and in nature. It’s lovely to see them playing freely and not being disturbed by anyone.”

On Thursday, Kate held a carnival at Westminster Abbey wearing a bright red Catherine Walker gown. William also participated in the ceremony — to be broadcast on Christmas Eve — along with the pop stars Leona Lewis and Ellie Goulding.

In a speech, the duchess reflected on the meaning of Christmas during the pandemic. “Christmas is a time when we can reflect on the past, listen to each other, focus on the relationships that nourish us and build our resilience, so we can towards a brighter future,” she speaks. “My hope is that this service creates a moment for us to do this together.”

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