Just because the Cambridges are royal, doesn't mean they do not get dirty in the mud! It seems Kate Middleton and her kids were having fun outdoors before posing for their annual Christmas card photo. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were pictured with their children—Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Prince Louis—sitting on a bale of hay at their country home in Norfolk. What you might not have noticed is that some members of the royal family posed with mud on their pants. “What I love are the children’s muddy knees,” the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English tweeted, to which a royal fan replied, “Yessss including The Duchess 😹 they must have a fun time before they got the best pic 😅💞.”

©Matt Porteous

One Twitter user appreciated the “unplanned nature” of the photo tweeting, “I like the unplanned nature and unpretentiousness of this, they’ve just sat down and had a snap done. Matching dirt marks on the leg-wear, obviously been having a lark before this was taken.” Another wrote: “Kate seems to have muddy knees as well. Great photo. Lovely family.”

The candid family snapshot was taken in the autumn by photographer Matt Porteous. “It was an honour to photograph The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their family. Capturing the fun and relaxed moments between such a wonderful family is always a true privilege,” Matt said of the Cambridges’ holiday photo.

©Getty Images

It’s no secret that the royal family of five enjoys spending time outdoors. During an appearance on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast back in February, Kate admitted that she’s happy when she is with her “family outside in the countryside and we’re all filthy dirty.”

Meanwhile, Prince William recently revealed that his oldest son, George, is “like a caged animal” if he is not outdoors. “He needs to get outside,” the Duke said on his ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All. William added, “Seeing my children, seeing the passion in their eyes and the love for being outdoors.”