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People think something really important is missing from William and Kate's Christmas card

Can you see it?

via The Prince and Princess of Wales

The Prince and Princess of Wales' 2023 Christmas card.

The British royal family is used to being under intense scrutiny, whether it’s the relationship between King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The rocky relationship that Prince Harry and Megan Markle have with the rest of their family or the numerous scandals involving Prince Andrew.

For a family forced to take public perception very seriously, it’s interesting to note that there is something rather strange about this year's Christmas card from the Prince and Princess of Wales and that it wasn't flagged before the photo was relased.

At first glance, the family appears in good spirits, with big smiles in matching white button-downs, denim pants and black slacks. However, there seems to be something seriously wrong with Prince Louis' left hand.

Royal watchers on social media say that the photo makes it look like the 5-year-old is missing his middle finger.

A lot of folks sounded off on the mysteriously missing appendage on X.

X user Yellow Rose of Texas highlighted the hand to give people a more precise look at what was going on with Prince Louis.

There are various reasons why Louis' finger appears to be missing in the photograph. His middle and ring fingers are spread far apart, exposing the skin between them. If this is the case, Louis must have some rather flexible appendages.

Others believe his thumb is tucked on the underside of the chair. This makes sense, but Louis has to have some pretty flexible fingers for this scenario to be correct.

As we saw above, others believe that the missing finger is a Photoshop failure or a mistake created by artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is known for having a hard time creating images of fingers. If it was a Photoshop fail, it’s not the first time the royal family has been accused of using digital photo editing software on its family photos.

Last April, numerous people accused the Prince and Princess of Wales of sharing a Photoshopped image of Queen Elizabeth and her grandchildren on what would have been her 97th birthday. Many suggested that Prince Louis was digitally altered in the shot.

It’s fitting that Prince Louis would be the subject of such goofy or, as the English would call it, barmy, speculation. Louis is known for having a mischievous side. The young prince showed off his personality during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation celebrations earlier this year, where he was caught making funny faces and yawning at inappropriate times during the ceremonies.

"He's a cheeky monkey — a typical third child," a source close to People told the magazine recently. "It's nice that the world got to see him enjoying himself."

Regardless of whether the photo results from a Photoshop failure or a member of the royal family having very nimble fingers, what’s interesting is that nobody on the Prince of Wales’ team noticed Louis’ hand and retook the photo or fixed it with digital editing. Or, it could be a great example of the royal family beginning to lighten up after all these years of public scrutiny.

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Family

Kate Middleton said exactly what she'd do if one of her kids had a mental illness.

Kate Middleton's children are young, but the Duchess of Cambridge already knows what she would do if either of them began showing symptoms of a mental illness later in life.

Photo by Mary Turner/WPA Pool/Getty Images.

"No parent would fail to call the doctor if their child developed a fever, yet some children are tackling tough times without the support that can help them because the adults in their life are scared to ask," the duchess said at the launch of a new podcast from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.

The Duchess of Cambridge leads a discussion at a school in Edinburgh, Scotland, about the mental health challenges that families face. Photo by Andrew Milligan/Getty Images.

"Both William and I feel very strongly that we wouldn’t hesitate to get expert support for George and Charlotte if they need it," she said.

Seeking treatment for a mental illness is a process that can be fraught with confusion, roadblocks, and, perhaps most damaging: stigma.

Many living with mental disorders find the risk of shame, stereotyping, and exclusion from employment and social circles too great to consider getting treated. A study commissioned by the World Health Organization estimated that for some illnesses, over 50% of those with diagnosable symptoms are not under the care of a medical professional.

Even when sufferers manage to overcome those obstacles, in the United States, treatment can be expensive and good care hard to find.

For families with adolescent children — when many mental disorders are most likely to manifest — the choice can be a difficult one.

Patients with mental disorders deserve judgment-free access to care like they would get for any other disease.

High-profile statements like the duchess', which draw a straight line between mental and physical illness, go a long way to helping build empathy for sufferers.

Of course, the duke and duchess are uniquely positioned to access and afford care, and they live in a country where many mental health services are provided free of charge (though questions about the efficacy and availability of care persist).

But it's a positive sign that the duchess is using her platform to try to take the shame out of seeking help.

Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

It won't fix anything overnight.

But for families on the fence, the choice to seek help for themselves or their children may have just gotten a little easier.

Family

The royal family's charming PSA on mental health is a must-watch.

'Mental health is just as important as physical health.'

If you thought President Obama meeting Prince George in his bathrobe was peak royal family cuteness, I have news for you.

Photo by Nicky J. Sims/Getty Images for Royal Foundation.

Prince William, Prince Harry, and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, pulled on bright blue headbands last week to snap a few pics.

And it, too, was pure delight.


Photo by Nicky J. Sims/Getty Images for Royal Foundation.

It's like they're trying to kill us with cuteness or something.

OK, so maybe the headbands aren't George-meeting-Obama-level adorable. But they're definitely still smile-inducing, right?

William, Kate, and Harry sported the headbands to show their support for a new campaign focused on mental health.

Heads Together — an initiative launched by seven U.K.-based mental health nonprofits — is aimed at breaking down stigma on the issue and raising funds and awareness for charities moving the discussion forward. The campaign is the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon Charity of the Year, which is pretty epic.

The royal family spoke out on the topic near and dear to their hearts in a promotional video for the campaign.

As Kate notes in the video, mental health should be a top priority.

GIF via Heads Together/YouTube.

Harry says that each one of us has a role in making progress.

GIF via Heads Together/YouTube.

And William thinks change is possible if we work as one.

GIF via Heads Together/YouTube.

The royal family chose to focus on mental illness because it's a quiet crisis that intersects with so many other causes they care about.

Nearly one-fifth of American adults — over 43 million people — was living with some form of mental illness in 2014 according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And unfortunately, many of these folks are "challenged doubly" because they not only live with the innate struggles of their illness but also face the harmful stereotypes that create a stigma around their experiences.

This stigma prevents many people from opening up and seeking help when it comes to their mental health.

Kate chats with others who are involved in the Heads Together campaign. Photo by Nicky J. Sims/Getty Images for Royal Foundation.

Mental illness isn't an exclusive issue either, a spokesperson for William, Kate, and Harry told Us Weekly — it plays a major role in so many others:

"Through their work with young people, emergency response, homeless charities, and with veterans, Their Royal Highnesses have seen time and time again that unresolved mental health problems lie at the heart of some of our greatest social challenges."

Promoting mental health may be serious business to the royal family...

...but that doesn't mean there isn't time for some laughs, too.

GIFs via Heads Together/YouTube.

Clearly, adorableness is a prerequisite to being royalty.

Watch the Heads Together campaign video below:

You can learn more about mental illness and how you can get help here.

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