They say a picture paints a thousand words, and the phrase couldn't be more accurate when it comes to the photos taken by Kate Middleton of her son Prince George to mark his birthday.
As George turns seven, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a selection of adorable photos of their eldest child captured by Kate herselfat their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. The Queen's official Royal Family Twitter shared the photos this morning, and wrote, 'Wishing Prince George a very happy birthday today!'
Rather than capturing the future King of England in his sharpest and most regal attire like the generations before her, this time George's mother chose to photograph her son in his comfy clothes.
The Prince can be seen grinning from ear to ear in one of the photographs, while he wears a casual camouflage tee. Of course this is the type of attire that all seven-year-old boys wear, but for royalty, the norm is to be smart and sharp for commemorative portraits from a young age. George's tousled locks and worn-in t-shirt (that look like it's already done several spins in the washing machine) make for a welcome change.
This isn't the first time Kate has chosen a more conventional approach to mothering her children than the family she finds herself in. It's well-documented that the Duchess, 38, is a fan of re-using clothes and regular passes down outfits too small for George to his younger brother Louis, who is two years old. He was captured wearing a pair of George's old striped shorts in photographs of a family trip to the Chelsea Flower Show, four years after they were first debuted by George while on tour in Australia with his parents.
Similarly while other members of the Royal Family are photographed by professionals, Kate's amateur photography of her children is more regularly used to mark their birthdays and special occasions, including the recent photos of Princess Charlotte taken by Kate to mark her fifth birthday in May.
Despite having important duties to fulfil with her husband, Kate has always been a hands-on mother and seems to encourage her children to enjoy playtime as is always captured in her beautiful photographs.
The approach Kate takes to her family is similar to that in her work too. Like the rest of the nation, the Duchess and William have apparently been utilising Zoom for their appointments and intend to continue to do so in lockdown and beyond. Kate has also been praised for her honesty and openness in the past when discussing the loneliness she felt when William began working as a pilot for the local ambulance service shortly after George's birth, a trait she will no doubt lean on as her three children grow up.
Wills and Kate are reportedly planning a birthday birthday for George soon, and if Kate's usual approach to the kids is anything to go by, we have no doubt he'll have the time of his life.
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