Royal Family
Prince William’s Father’s Day Photo Broke Royal Tradition
It was taken by his wife, Kate Middleton.
Kate Middleton made an unconventional Father’s Day post for Prince William. On June 16, a photograph posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account showed William posing with his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
In the photo, William is facing away from the camera, embracing his children as they overlook a beach, wearing more casual attire than royal spectators are used to. “We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day,” a caption reads, which includes a credit for Middleton as the photographer.
Breaking with tradition, George, Charlotte, and Louis signed off the post with their initials, “G, C & L,” instead of the usual “W” or “C” sign-off by their parents, William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Speaking to The Sun, body language expert Judi James explained how the family photo is also “a detachment” from previous royal Father’s Day portraits because of its “casual and tactile theme.”
“While Charles and even Philip were always shown playing with their boys wearing formal suits and with a hands-off approach or one hand even pushed into a pocket, William’s ‘winged’ embrace shows a desire to be casual, informal, and very much hands-on as a dad,” she said.
Many royal fans concurred with James’ observations. “What a beautiful photo of William and the children. He seems like such a loving father to Charlotte, Louis, and George,” one user wrote on Instagram.
Other royalists praised the Princess of Wales for her photography skills, with one fan also commenting, “Such a beautiful picture taken by the talented Princess! And the message from the kids is adorable.”
King Charles’ Father’s Day Tribute
On June 16, William posted his own Father’s Day message to King Charles III. In a throwback photo shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ Instagram page, a young William is shown playing football with the reigning monarch in a garden. “Happy Father’s Day, Pa. W,” he captioned the post.
The official Royal Family Instagram account also shared a Father’s Day post, along with archive footage of a young King Charles and his late father, Prince Philip, who died at age 99 in April 2021. “Wishing all Dads, and those who may be missing their parents today, a relaxing Father’s Day,” a caption of the video read.
