Prince William has taken a sweet snap of his wife and children to mark Mother’s Day.
The future king, 41, shared the photo of The Princess of Wales, 42, with their three children at home in Windsor.
It marks a marked difference compared to the family’s usual portraits, where William steps behind the lens instead of Kate Middleton.
Kate is famous for her love of photography and for the pictures she has taken of her children and husband.
She has also taken pictures to mark Queen Camilla’s (then Duchess of Cornwall) 75th birthday.
This photo was shared by Wales to mark Mother’s Day – and unlike many of their family photos, which are taken by Kate, it was taken by Prince William
The Princess of Wales takes photos of her children to mark their birthdays – like this photo she took and shared of Princess Charlotte
It has now become a tradition for the Princess of Wales to take photos to mark her children’s birthdays, and she famously snapped Princess Charlotte on her second birthday in 2017.
Commenting on the move at the time, Gina Jones of Bumpkins, The Baby Show’s leading experts in baby photography, told MailOnline it was part of Kate and William’s desire to be ‘resourceful with money’.
Gina explained: ‘It shows how modern Kate and William are by being more accessible and taking a hands-on approach.
“It also shows that they are resourceful with money as you often see Kate in high street fashion and sometimes repeating outfits, and then by taking her own photos this again shows how smart she is with money.”
Kate previously hired famed photographer Mario Testino to shoot family portraits, but it seems she is changing her mind – and could be hoping for a permanent gig as a royal photographer.
Simon Apps, director and photographer of PR photo agency Professional Images, offered another explanation for the move, saying: ‘I don’t think the (then) )gyuDuchess is looking for a career in photography, but she could certainly be eyeing the position of “Royal photographer”, a title bestowed on Lord Lichfield, who sadly died after a stroke in 2005.
“Like him, she is perfectly, if not better, placed to capture the intimate spontaneous moments of the royal family for which he was so famous.”
And it’s not just royal watchers who enjoy Kate’s work behind the lens.
As well as snapping her children, Kate also took the photos for a profile in County Life magazine. The profile marked Queen Camilla’s (then Duchess of Cornwall) 75th birthday
Another of the photos taken of the princess (then duchess) showed her husband Prince William and their three children
Her skills were recognized after she was awarded honorary life membership of the prestigious Royal Photographic Society in recognition of her ‘talent and enthusiasm’.
Founded in 1853, the association works to promote photography and to support photographers “regardless of their level of knowledge, equipment or skill”.
It holds exhibitions and workshops and has a long tradition of connections to the royal family.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were early patrons, while several official royal photographers were members. Professional photographer Lord Snowdon won his Hood Medal in 1978.
The society described Kate as an “excellent role model for keen amateur photographers”, and a spokeswoman said it was “clear she had photographic talent”.
Dr. Michael Pritchard, chief executive of the RPS, said: ‘The Duchess of Cambridge has had a long-standing interest in photography and its history.
This photo of Prince Louis, taken by Kate, was shared to mark the young royal entering school
It’s now become a bit of a family tradition for Kate to take birthday photos of her children, including these of Prince George (pictured, left) and Prince Louise (pictured, right)
‘She is the latest in a long line of royal photographers and the community is delighted to recognize her talent and enthusiasm through honorary membership. We look forward to a continued relationship with her.’
As well as taking pictures of her children, Kate was widely praised when she took the pictures for a profile of Queen Camilla for Country Life magazine in 2022.
The profile, which marked the then-Duchess of Cornwall’s 75th birthday, included pictures taken at Camilla’s Ray Mill House country retreat in Lacock, Wiltshire.
A royal source said at the time that it was Camilla’s idea to ask Kate to take the photos.
Meanwhile, Country Life’s managing editor and features Paula Lester said the publication ‘couldn’t be happier with the results’ of the photo shoot.
She added: “In fact the set of pictures she took were so good that we struggled to choose just three from which the Duchess of Cornwall made her final choice.”
Kate famously took this photo of the Queen and Prince Philip with all their great-grandchildren (except Archie and Lilibet)
According to Paula, Kate took the commission ‘very seriously’ and was ‘incredibly professional’ about the job.
“She called me to discuss our requirements for the cover and subsequently composed a series of beautifully captured images,” explained Paula.
Additionally, the magazine’s editor Mark Hedges said everyone was thrilled with the photos, which captured Camilla ‘magnificently’. He added that the magazine would be ‘delighted’ to offer Kate another commission.
The princess, who studied art history at St. Andrews University, has been seen several times taking photos on royal tours with his Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
She is understood to be knowledgeable about all aspects of photography.