The monarch and his wife decided to play it safe after the royal family - who were unable to come together for an official snap - had been repeatedly criticized for releasing mocked up photos according to the Daily Telegraph.
In 2005 they were left refaced when it emerged a Christmas card of the king and queen photographed with their seven grandchildren was in fact a collage that had been put together using digital editing software.
It had been so badly altered the king's right leg had been chopped off in the picture.
Earlier this year, another row broke out when an official photo of Crown Prince Felipe to mark his rise in rank in the armed forces had clearly been manipulated.
Three pictures of the heir to the throne in different military uniforms were released - but all with the same shot of his face.
The monarch decided on an arty photo of the Casa Real palace lit up at night to avoid further criticism in the press.
Prince Felipe, meanwhile, and his wife, Princess Letizia have chosen a portrait of their two daughters, Leonor, 5, and three-year-old Sofia for their own Christmas card.
