Kate Middleton Holds a Laughing Prince Louis in the Most Candid Royal Family Portrait Yet
On Sunday, Kensington Palace released four official portraits of Prince Louis’s christening. They varied in subjects and settings: There were group shots at Clarence House, a snap of just the Cambridge family in front of a gray backdrop, another of the Duchess of Cambridge with her son in the garden. But they were all relatively formal—posed, considered, and organized just so.
This morning, however, it surprised the world with a fifth, more candid shot. It shows Kate Middleton holding Louis, who is laughing at something far off in the distance. “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have released an additional photograph taken following the christening of Prince Louis,” the palace stated. “The Duke and Duchess hope that everyone enjoys this lovely photograph of Prince Louis as much as they do.”
While the other photographs were taken by Matt Holyoak, who captured Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for their 70th wedding anniversary, this one was taken by Matt Porteous. Why? It’s been reported that although Holyoak was the official photographer, William and Kate asked Porteous to take some extra, informal shots for their private collection. They liked this one so much that they decided to make it public.
For, well, forever, the royals have been known for their extravagant portraits. Take Cecil Beaton’s pictures of Queen Elizabeth or Annie Leibovitz’s moody tableaux of the Windsor family. This fifth picture of Louis certainly is glamorous—his mother is wearing Alexander McQueen, after all—but it shows how this younger set of royals is not only taking more spontaneous and personal photos but sharing them as well.
Back in November, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made public their engagement photos. The first showed them sitting on the steps of Frogmore House, the second locked in an embrace. But they also released a relaxed shot of them walking the Windsor grounds, after the two initial photos had already been released. “The couple are so grateful for the warm and generous messages they have received during such a happy time in their lives,“ Kensington Palace wrote. “As a way to say thank you, they have decided to share this candid photograph from the day of their portrait sittings directly with all of you.”
It looks like William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan are embracing the mystique of the monarchy, but also adding their own modern flair.
