Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia of Spain feature on Christmas cards sent out by their parents King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. A copy of the card was released by the royal family on Monday. It shows the two sisters, aged ten and eight, in a sweet embrace.

Leonor, who is first-in-line to the throne, wraps an affectionate arm around her little sister Sofia. The Spanish royals’ elder daughter is pictured wearing a navy cardigan while her hair is styled into a plaited do. Sofia meanwhile is seen in an off-white and black dress.

The younger sister also sports the same hairstyle which is a favourite with their stylish mother Letizia. The blonde sisters with their hair in matching side plaits, mirror each other’s beaming smiles, Hello reports. The royal sisters have signed their names along with their titles inside the card.

Leonor is known as the Princess of Asturias and Sofia is called Infanta Sofia of Spain. They have signed their names below their parents’ signatures. “Every day we have reason to find hope and peace in our hearts. We hope that the goodwill of Christmas will always light our way,” says the message of the card, written in Spanish.

The King and Queen of Spain this year have opted for their daughters’ picture instead of a traditional family photo. This might have been done to perhaps reflect the change that one day Leonor will be the Queen. The Spanish royal family is the first European royal house to make their 2015 Christmas cards public, People reports.

However, Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia’s Christmas card feature a painting. Felipe’s parents still retain their titles. The artwork of the card is by Italian maestro Bernardino Luini and is titled “The Birth of Jesus.” The painting can be seen at The Royal Monastery of the Incarnation, a convent in Madrid.

However, last year, Felipe and Letizia chose two pictures on their card – both taken in June 2014 when they became King and Queen after the abdication of Felipe’s father King Juan Carlos. It was the first time they featured on Christmas cards post Felipe’s coronation.

The red card featured two big images from the day — on the cover was a picture of the royal couple standing on the balcony of the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid with a crowd of well-wishers below. Inside the card was a family photo of the royal couple with their two daughters, dressed identically. For the first time, the card also featured the signatures of each of the members of the family-of-four.

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