Happy belated Father’s Day to all of the dads out there! Sunday, June 16th, was Father’s Day in the US and UK. We didn’t get any new photos or messages from the royal court of Montecito, but Kensington Palace did issue two photos for the holiday. One photo was of Prince William – when he was just a baby/toddler – with his father, then-Prince Charles. The second photo was of William and his three kids, a photo taken by the Princess of Wales. KP published the photo with the message: “We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day 💕 G, C & L.” It’s one of my minor peeves when adults publish “messages in their children’s voices” on their social media. This isn’t William and Kate’s private IG account, it’s the account they use for their work. This is the first time KP has issued a message “from” the kids.
As for the photo, the Daily Mail has some background on it. From the Mail: “Kensington Palace said Kate’s picture of William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was taken on the Norfolk coast last month, though to be close to where the family spent the Easter weekend at their Anmer Hall home.” I’ve said for months that I believed Kate has spent almost this entire year in Norfolk and given her reappearance, I have no reason to stop believing that. This is the first palace-issued photo in months where I actually believe the palace’s backstory too – I believe this was taken recently in Norfolk.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace.
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- Prince George, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte on the palace balcony following Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign’s official birthday. This year the colours were trooped by The Irish Guards. .,Image: 881850906, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
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- Prince George, the Prince of Wales, Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, to view the flypast following the Trooping the Colour ceremony in central London, as King Charles celebrates his official birthday. Featuring: William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales with Prince Louis and Prince George, Princess Charlotte with King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales with their children, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, following the Trooping the Colour ceremony in central London, as King Charles celebrates his official birthday. Featuring: William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales with Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte with King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- On the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, to view the flypast following the Trooping the Colour ceremony in central London, as King Charles celebrates his official birthday. Featuring: Prince George, the Prince of Wales, Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- During appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast during Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince William of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- During appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast during Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince William of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince George, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince George, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday in London. Featuring: Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Catherine Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Catherine Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: John Rainford/Cover Images
Of course no mention of the late Diana. Just Charles on a suit
On….Father’s Day? Why would there be a mention of Diana?
@Mcmmom, I saw many father’s day pics where husbands are thanking their wife for making him a father. I think, that is a new sweet trend. So, these photos look weird in that sense since there is Diana or Kate around.
I’ve seen loads of Father’s Day post from family, friends as well as people I follow on social media: the emphasis is on the Fathers and their relationships with their kids or grandkids.
@MaryContrary, that is why I said “new trend”. I didn’t see such photos last year either. Also, BRF isn’t an ordinary family, they have a PR team deciding on these things. Since they are usually following SM trends, it did look weird to me too.
That doesn’t even make sense – they were divorced and she is dead. What would the wording be “thinking of my late ex wife – thanks for making me a dad!”
I think both Charles and William are both idiots and there is so much to criticize both of them for – but not mentioning Diana on a Father’s Day post doesn’t seem like an infraction.
I think there were some royal reporters acting like this was some sort of rare photo bw Charles and William when that is not the case. The photo was from a set of previously seen pictures that included Charles and Diana and William. In some of the pics Charles and Diana looked fairly miserable with each other. Anyways, including the pic of just Charles and William for Father’s Day is fine. It’s more that it was being touted as some rare and previously unseen pic when no actually it’s from a set of pictures of Charles William and Diana.
It made me sad I remember the photo ops with Diana and it’s like she’s cut out of the photos.
Why would there be a mention of Diana?
It was Father’s Day why should they mention Dianna?
That photo of William and k8ds are also AI generated… I know because I work with AI generation.
I have absolutely no qualifications, but that’s what it looks like to me too
Someone on a Reddit thread yesterday was commenting that George’s ears look wrong – one is significantly higher than the other…
Even if this isn’t AI and just highly edited with possible stand-ins for some of the principals, this photo stuck in my brain. SeaFlower and others mentioned the height difference between George and Louis is off (which does have a possible explanation given that this was taken at a beach). Skylark and others mentioned that George’s ear is slipping down his head. I have no clue how this could be natural—I’ve looked at a few other back profiles and it’s weird. Possibly George’s hair is wrong—the front is cut longer and if it was windy, you’d assume you’d see his hair standing up a bit. Charlotte is unrecognizable. Are Louis’ arms the same length?
In a couple of the other posts, there are about 3 Getty images which show K with a nasty scar. In all three photos, she’s walking in side profile with her kids and each of them shows this scar (so it’s not just in one single picture). However she acquired that, it had to be something nasty to leave that mark.
I’m sorry to venture into this territory again (last revisited during the Frankenphoto), but are W, C, L, and G actually all really standing together in this picture?? It looked normal to me at first and now it’s gotten weird again. It’s gone from this family copying H&M again to why are they disguising their faces?
I don’t think William was under the same roof as kate.
@Tessa … I don’t think so either. I still think that William was prepared to issue a Separation or a Divorce statement in January 2024, but something happened just after Christmas in December 2023 that prevented him from doing so. I now Kate is fighting an illness.
If Kate has been at Anmer Hall all this time (and I agree with Kaiser that she probably has been there), then who was making all of those school runs from Adelaide Cottage??
This is a good point. I think it’s possible they were being homeschooled.
So now all the haters who whine about H&M doing pix of A&L from the back need to get on this. It’s weird because you can’t really see Charlotte and Will isn’t touching Louis and Louis isn’t touching Will. C looks relaxed but G&L look stiff and posed.
B&W pictures? Tree? Photo from behind? Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
” Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.” Just what I was going to say. My only difference is my version has ‘sincerest’ but they both work. Had to laugh.
Lol, Rosa. I wasn’t sure about the sincerity…
No one ever gets the full quote right.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness. – Oscar Wilde.
Thanks for posting the full quote, Bean. Oscar Wilde had a great talent for snide remarks.
But why a photo of their backs when the whole family was on full display at Trooping? There’s also an ominous vibe to this photo. It sort of foreshadows life without K.
It doesn’t match the ‘happy family’ hype when Louis has no contact with his father.
The Sussexes have issued photos where faces have been obscured and the reaction has been outrage, and now these ones copy it and it is described as ‘beautiful’.
The Daily Fail coverage of Billy and Katie this past week has been so over the top with fake praise for the couple that it is really beginning to backfire. People are getting sick of it and the Fail seems to be actually working against them and making them look foolish. Is there nobody in KP who can see that it is getting out of hand.
Billy is looking more and more stressed every day. What a mess!
I’m just glad they let the kids wear shorts and t-shirts for once in their lives. The constant collars, tucked-in dress shirts and (for Charlotte) prim little dresses must be annoying af. God forbid the special blood kids ever be spotted in something middle-class and casual 🙄
What’s funny is if you look back at pics of William & Harry, Diana let them wear t-shirts and casual shit all the time! They had their dress-up short pants and suits moments, but unlike Kate she was an actual aristo, so didn’t have to make her kids playact and also she prioritized her kids’ comfort! No way she would’ve made them wear a suit on a 100 degree day at Wimbledon.
W didn’t step all over his father’s official birthday this year? Interesting, given that KP and BP are not on the same page. This might be nothing, but Louis is hugging his brother with his other arm down by his side.
To me G&L look stiff and not into it. Only Charlotte looks natural (what you can see of her).
That’s the vibe I get, too.
I was trying to see if this is really recent based on George’s height,he is almost shoulder length with Kate in heels but ofcourse William is way taller so I dont know.
I think it’s recent based on Louis’ darker hair color.
Except the beach photo has L closer to G’s height than the balcony. Boys don’t tend to grow quickly until they reach their late teens.
Hm, SeaFlower, now I’m not certain about that anymore. You’re right about George (seeming?) being distinctly taller on the balcony at Trooping. Louis seems to reach more/ less the same height on W. If George isn’t standing slightly lower on the beach (dip in the sand), then this is older.
Charlotte looks so tall in comparison to George. I know girls tend to grow faster than boys, but in this photo she is really catching up to him height- wise. Gotta go take a look at the balcony pics for comparison now. 🤔
It should have been a photo with a generic message to “All fathers” if it’s being posted on a work/business social media account. Very unprofessional
I don’t think they know to make that distinction. William just wants to carry on doing what they’ve been doing without getting busted for manipulated images and the dishonest timeframes they were said to be taken.
I can see they’ve already cast Louis in the role of family clown. As a Sussex supporter I totally support the wales children being in the spotlight, they’re the children of the future king and all attention should continue going to them. Archie and Lili should be allowed to pursue whatever interests they have / fall in love with whoever they want/ travel anywhere they want and buy whatever they want without being hounded by papers and press from another country they don’t live in. I am very comfortable not seeing any pictures / videos of them till they’re adults.
I’d argue the fact that the media portrayed Louis as the family clown/mischief maker/trouble child is exactly why these children shouldn’t be in the news spotlight. Especially the spares. These children are typecasted into various stereotypic roles already. That’s how the public sees them and refers to them.
It’s fine to post occasional photos of public appearances. But K&W have consistently used their children to obfuscate and distract attention away from their adult problems or used their cuteness to bump up the royals likability score.
Look at Margaret or Harry, the exploitation by their family and the news media has been harmful and abusive.
Unfortunately the Wales children are going to face a terrible time……the Fail is already prepping for it…..George the shy withdrawn one…..Charlotte the feisty Anne MkII and Louis the naughty troublesome one.
Ahh I see.. Kate on vacation, enjoying her live without having to work.
I actually don’t think that it’s a recent picture. I’d guess its from last summer. George has had a growth spurt and was just up to William’s shoulder on the balcony at Trooping. There was also a bigger height difference at Trooping between George and Louis versus this picture. The weather has been awful too. Definitely not warm enough for shorts at the beach.
I agree, i don’t think it was warm enough for shorts around easter this year. I still find the picture entirely unnatural though.
A beach isn’t a flat surface like a balcony floor. Louis could be standing on a bump of sand or clump of grass.
It’s a nice photo. It’s also great to see William in something casual. For some reason, this doesn’t seem like a recent photo. Oh, well. I wouldn’t know. Also, seems like the children have nothing but blue clothing.
Nice photo.
What did make me wonder is the children are all in summer clothing, it hasn’t exactly been summary lately and the Norfolk coast would be cold with the wind from the north.
Less than a week between the pic taken and published on Father’s Day and those Balcony shots, yet George is about 6 inches smaller in Norfolk than he is in London? On the balcony he easily reaches his Father’s shoulder, yet in the other picture he is about on a par with his undearm. Also Louis’ head reaches the bottom of George’s ear on the beach, but only the top of George’s shoulder in the London shots? I’d say the Norfolk? picture was taken LAST year. Both Charlotte and George seemto have have shot up a lot, but Louis isnt catching up quite as much just yet. So smoke and mirrors to prove just how much a happy family they all are. It would be funny if it wasnt so pathetic. Also a picture of said happy family shot from the back? Could be anyone … perhaps theyre the ‘troupers’ LOL!!!
George’s right ear, as we look at the pic, has slipped down the side of his head.
I’m just saying.
Swift catch. It would be far easier to frankenphoto from behind so maybe that’s why this picture.
Yes! Someone mentioned that on twitter and now it’s all I can see!
Nice photo, but as an amateur photographer myself I would have at least straighten the horizon before publishing.
With that and the ear it looks as if it might be another fake photo, but why? The sea is slightly bluer on the left side but that could just be the sky and a white dot halfway down William’s arm, could that be a joining point to put William’s arm around George. KP has lost trust.
As long as we’re talking about photo weirdness, look at the right side of George’s head. It’s…off. Like a straight line off. And his hair? Like it’s growing horizontally at the back of his head.
I thought that was a patch on the sleeve that you would see on sportswear, it looks a too bit elongated to be a dot.
California Dreamin’
Is there an ‘uncanny valley’ filter KP uses? This and the table in the train car photo have such a weird ‘plastic catching the light’ sort of look to them on every part of the image.
Lort. As pathological as Will-not’s obsession and treatment of his brother is, I can understand why he envies Harry’s ability to give his children privacy. Harry and William grew up in an absolute fishbowl and spent their childhood constantly being used as props. It is just pathological that he involves Harry’s kids in his rota games (planting stories about Lilibet’s name, planting stories about Charles wanting a relationship with them, demanding that Harry’s kids be seen when he not only bullied their parents out of the UK, but put them in danger by pulling their security).
Not a recent photo. If I remember correctly there were photos from one or two years ago, on the beach with the kids in these clothes?
But I like the photo.
It’s really a nice father’s day pic.
Yes I liked the photo as well, copying Meghan of course. probably taken last summer, but then how long ago is recent?
I can’t hate on this photo too much. It’s actually kind of nice and normal.
I think it’s a super cute photo. I don’t mind that you can’t see their faces or that it’s “signed” by the kids. I’ll criticize them all day long for their work ethic, but not their parenting.
I like the photo, honestly. I think its cute, whether it was taken two weeks ago or last summer – I don’t think that matters. We all saw the kids this weekend so we know they’re fine and we don’t need “proof of life” for them (which was always a weird thing to demand for the younger ones.) I did wonder about the clothes and whether it was shorts weather in Norfolk, but I am far from a UK weather expert lol.
I do think signing the post from the children is a little weird, we all know that’s not them writing the post – but lots of people do that.
I agree. The photo is fine for a Father’s Day thing. But pretending young kids have access to social media to sign this is dumb, especially Louis. I highly doubt these kids are permitted to get on IG or Twitter at this age, especially considering who they are and what can be said.
I also think Kate took this photo as much as William took the Franken photo.
It’s a nice picture. No need for forensic analysis.
After that recent fakaka, all I can think is.. that might not even be them? Could just be some actors? Even if it is them, it looks super staged.
The kids look miserable on the balcony.
Honestly they do best when they copy the Sussex on photos, and this has a nice relaxed vibe to it.
It’s so much better than almost all of their photos together as a family, but I will say the photos of William with the kids are usually better than the photos of them as a unit. Dads maybe get to be the fun parent, IDK.
Wasn’t William supposed to go to Germany to see England play their first match in the Euro on father’s day ? Did somebody in his team actually did their work and told him that it would be a bad look ?
He’s going to the match on Thursday.
Where is the press outrage about this photo of William and the children from the back? Didn’t the press say that was against protocol?
Exactly. The examples of double standards continue.
This looks like a drawing or painting to me.
The horizon is very weird. Kids who play or played on the beach, don’t look this ‘clean’. That’s all I’m gonna say about this.
They do if it was more of a photoshoot than just playing on the beach, come on now. Beach photoshoots are super common.
Maybe they had just arrived. Hopefully they get to do normal things like play on the beach.
Do these children have any other clothes?. Year after year same clothes, navy blue shorts, blue tops. Whether they’re on the beach or baking cookies at home, same clothes. Pretty sure we’ve seen Charlotte in those shorts before. I honestly do not understand what that nonsense with the clothes is all about.
They are forever ensnared by Big Blue. They wear a lot of blue reflexively because Di’s ring is so often the co star of their group photos.
I think the picture is nicely composed, but George’s arm looks like it’s just hanging limply over Louis’ back, almost as if he is not actually touching his brother. It would look better if George rested his hand hand on his little brother’s shoulder. It would make the three of them more connected.
It’s cool seeing Charlotte in cutoff shorts, which is so . . . normal, but it reminds me of the zillions of cutoffs I had as a kid every time I outgrew a pair of jeans. Snip, now they’re shorts. Maybe that kind of cost savings is how the BRF stays wealthy?
Can somebody please explain the Norfolk thing to me? I don’ t see how Kate could be living in Norfolk all this time while her kids are going to school near Windsor? I can’t imagine William parenting them at Adelaide Cottage.
I must be losing it! I actually found the photo to be sad as if the little group were standing together on the beach in mourning because their mother had you know what. As I say, I must be deranged because no-one else would think that I’m sure.