For the dedicated followers of the Cambridge family, the annual royal Christmas card is our equivalent of the John Lewis advert: it's when Christmas truly begins.
Back in 2015, we were treated to a heart-melting picture of the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge with their young children George and Charlotte, shot in the grounds of Kensington Palace (George, as ever, wearing his trademark shorts and socks combo). The year before, we were graced with not one but three new shots of young George, grinning on the steps of his great-granny's house (that's Buckingham Palace to the rest of us...)
But to add insult to injury in an already pretty rubbish 2016, not a single picture was released by Kensington Palace last December. We sighed, and tried to get on with our Christmas regardless...
Now, with the festive season but a distant memory, we've finally been granted a glimpse at the Cambridges' Christmas missive - and it's not what we expected.
Instead of opting for a formal portrait, Wills, Kate and co have apparently chosen to send their family and friends an image that you might have seen before: a shot taken by photographer Chris Jackson during the royal tour of Canada.
The colourful shot sees Prince George and Princess Charlotte transfixed by a balloon modeller (cast your mind back to the garden party in question, and you might remember that George asked for a spider and a volcano, while Charlotte wanted a flower).
While the Cambridges' latest card is certainly a departure from their usual choices, we can't help but approve. Here's to 2017's card - don't leave us hanging again, Wills and Kate...
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