William and Kate release summery family photo for official Christmas card

Prince William, left and Kate, Princess of Wales pose for a photo with their children, from second left, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in Norfolk, England. (Matt Porteous / Prince and Princess of Wales/ Kensington Palace via AP)

The U.K .may have been blanketed with snow this week, but you wouldn't know it from the image on the Prince and Princess of Wales' official Christmas card.

The photograph, posted on the royal couple's official social media accounts, shows them on a sunny family walk with their three beaming and bare-legged children: Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.

Kensington Palace, the couple's official residence, tweeted the picture on Tuesday with a Christmas tree emoji and the message: "Sharing a new picture of the family for this year's Christmas card!"

Dressed in jeans and sneakers, the royal couple are pictured walking along a parkland path, hand-in-hand with their children.

The casually colour-co-ordinated image sees Prince George, who is second in line to the throne, dressed in a blue polo short and navy shorts, alongside Princess Charlotte in a short denim jumpsuit and Prince Louis in denim shorts and a striped, short-sleeved shirt.

Shot earlier this year in Norfolk, eastern England by award-winning photographer Matt Porteous, the Waleses' image was released less than 48 hours before the final three episodes of Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex's docuseries hit the streaming service.

Earlier this week, King Charles III issued the first official Christmas card of his reign.

Chosen by the King and Camilla, Queen Consort, the photo was taken by Sam Hussein at the Braemar Games in Scotland on September 3, five days before Queen Elizabeth II died and when Charles was still the Prince of Wales.

It features the couple looking at each other, with the King in profile wearing a beige suit and striped tie and Camilla in a green hat and jacket.