Arms linked as they take in the Norfolk countryside they love so much, this lovely Father’s Day photograph taken by the Princess of Wales of her husband and children is a tribute to her ‘rock’.
The accompanying social media post also includes the first message shared by Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. He simply says, ‘We love you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day (with two love hearts) G, C and L’.
While many will be excited to see the young royals immerse themselves in social media, sources are at pains to emphasize that this should not be seen as anything other than charming and unique.
The children, who also seemed delighted to be with their parents in public at Trooping the Color at the weekend, simply wanted to show their love for William on a special day after what has undoubtedly been a difficult time for them all.
However, the message marks the first time the children have been given such a platform to make a public statement like this to a global audience, and is a sign of their growing maturity as young royals.
The photo showed the trio on a trip to the beach with their father, posing with their backs to the camera as they looked out to sea.
The Father’s Day photograph was taken by Kate (pictured arriving for the King’s Birthday Parade) last month on the beach near Anmer Hall, her home in Norfolk, during the half-term holidays.
(Left to right) Prince George, the Prince of Wales, Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte and King Charles III on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, to watch the aerial parade after the Trooping the Color ceremony
For his father, who approaches his 42nd birthday next week, the past year has seen him take on the role of Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, as well as having to deal first with his father’s devastating cancer diagnosis and then with that of his wife.
Throughout it all, William dropped his children off at school every day and cheered them on from the sidelines, attempting to keep their lives as normal as possible amid such profound personal turmoil.
As anyone who has cared for a loved one through cancer knows, the torrent of emotions that come with it can be difficult to bear.
William will no doubt have found inner reserves of strength and endurance that even he didn’t know he had.
The Father’s Day photograph was taken by Kate, 42, last month on the beach near Anmer Hall, her home in Norfolk, during the half term holidays.
Dressed casually in shorts, hoodies, and polos (with a cap for William), its sweet simplicity makes it the kind of family photo many of us have in our albums.
Just a few weeks earlier, Kate had gone public with the news that she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy, and the family immediately traveled to East Anglia again to keep George, Charlotte and Louis away from the inevitable interest.
William and Kate’s instinct when the seriousness of their situation emerged was to isolate their family, as they tried to find the best way to gently break the news to their children and allow them to accept it privately.
The open spaces, countryside and beaches of Norfolk have always been a balm to the family soul (in fact, friends have long told me they would move there permanently if they could).
Kate penned a deeply personal message to the nation as she gave an update on her ongoing battle with cancer on Friday.
William and Kate’s (pictured during the Trooping the Color ceremony) instinct when the seriousness of their situation arose was to protect their family.
The Prince of Wales shared a photo (pictured) of him playing football with the King to mark Father’s Day.
King Charles and Queen Camilla led Father’s Day tributes this morning with a touching video montage of Charles and Philip (pictured)
In a message to the nation on Friday, the princess spoke about the journey she had undertaken.
She made a point to include William by name and say how much the messages of love and support they had received had meant to them both and how much they had helped them get through “some of the most difficult times.”
Friends say the couple are closer than ever and it was important for the princess to personally show what a “team effort” they have been.
It’s also clear, sources say, that her experience has been for the family unit and Father’s Day was the perfect opportunity for both her and her children to highlight the role ‘Dad’ has played in that.
Yesterday William also paid tribute to his own father by posting a photo of him and Charles playing football in the gardens of Kensington Palace.
It was taken shortly before his second birthday and shows Charles dressed formally, as it was an official birthday photo shoot, on June 12, 1984 kicking a ball to his delighted son. William’s message read: “Happy Father’s Day, Pa. W.”
Yesterday at Buckingham Palace there was a moving message on behalf of the King as his own father, the Duke of Edinburgh, died in 2021, just before his 100th birthday.
Attached black-and-white home movie clips show Charles with Philip as a child, as well as his grandfather, King George VI, and mother, Queen Elizabeth, in relaxed family moments. The message read: “Wishing all dads, and those who miss their fathers today, a relaxing Father’s Day.”
