SNL Totally Roasts Kate & William's Holiday Card Debacle
When Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their family's 2023 Christmas photo online, it had many people accusing the Prince and Princess of Wales of photoshopping their snap. "Our family Christmas card for 2023," they wrote on December 9 in the caption of the black-and-white Instagram photo, which included their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. But keen-eyed Instagram users pointed out something strange about Louis' hand. "Anyone talking about why Prince Louis is just missing a finger?!?" one follower wrote. Many commented about the apparent photoshop mishap, while others wondered how Meghan Markle — who has a rumored fraught relationship with Middleton — would respond to the family photo.
William and Kate never fessed up to doctoring the Christmas card, but they were reportedly "embarrassed" that people implied they edited the pic, as an insider told Us Weekly on December 12.
Not long after, "Saturday Night Live" took shots at the Prince and Princess of Wales. "A Christmas photo released by the royal family features a bad Photoshop job where Prince Louis' finger appears to be missing," Colin Jost said during the "Weekend Update" segment. "And this is sweet. Meghan Markle said she has a finger they can use if they need it," Jost said, while a photo of Meghan giving the middle finger appeared. Meghan and Prince Harry released their own Christmas card at the same time as the Prince and Princess of Wales and some perceived that as a mildly hostile act.
Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle try to upstage their family?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle no longer post on social media since leaving their roles with the royal family, but they did send out a Christmas card via email. The electronic card was more formal than Prince William and Kate Middleton's and featured a photo of the couple attending the Invictus Games earlier in the year. The e-card highlighted their work with the Archewell Foundation and included a link to their website.
When news of the Sussexes' Christmas card spread online, some users on X, formerly known as Twitter, put forth the theory that Harry and his wife intentionally sent it out the same time as his brother and sister-in-law. "Harry and Meghan release video showing Archewell 'annual impact' ... Come on, who's copying who," one person tweeted. "Apparently they released it to show up, Kate," another added.
Rumors continued to swirl on December 18 when Kate posted a throwback photo to Instagram from when she enjoyed Christmas as a youngster in 1983. "Sharing some festive memories this Christmas because #ShapingUs is all about the vital importance of our early years," she wrote in the caption. A few followers believed this post was a subtle jab at Meghan. They were referencing details that came out in a book about the royals that illustrated the icy relationship between Kate and Meghan.
Kate Middleton reached out to Meghan Markle
While Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were not known to be very close, the book "Endgame" by royals expert Omid Scobie showed just how fractured the relationship between the two women was. "[T]here was a hope that Kate would be someone she could at least turn to ... Kate, however, was uninterested in forming this kind of bond with Meghan," Scobie wrote (via People). Not only did Kate fail to reach out to her sister-in-law, but according to the author, she also openly mocked Meghan to others. "She spent more time talking about Meghan than talking to her," Scobie wrote.
The Dutch translation of the book also claimed Prince Charles and Kate were two members of the royal family who were concerned about what Prince Archie's skin color would be when Meghan was pregnant with him. This accusation reportedly upset both Prince Harry and Kate. "It was humiliating for Kate that Harry and Meghan would [allegedly] accuse her of something so horrific," a royal insider told InTouch on December 15. A sliver of good news did come out of the whole ordeal, though, as Kate reportedly extended an olive branch to her sister-in-law. "Shortly after the book's allegations came out, Kate reached out to Meghan to clear the air," a source told InTouch. The insider said Charles was the one who wanted Kate and Meghan to settle their differences. "He wants to heal the rift once and for all."