The Strong Message Kate Middleton Sent With Prince William’s Birthday Photo, According to a Royal Expert

Kate Middleton apparently said a lot with the photo she took for Prince William’s birthday . A royal expert believes the Princess of Wales, 42, “deliberately” selected the joyful snapshot featuring her husband and their three children, Prince George , Princess Charlotte , and Prince Louis , as a sign of their “optimism.”

William’s birthday photo taken by Kate

The Prince of Wales turned 42 on June 21, 2024. Not only did he celebrate by going to Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” at Wembley Stadium alongside George and Charlotte, but he also marked the occasion with a new family photo.

Kensington Palace released an image taken by Kate of William and their three children jumping off a sand dune on Holkham beach in Norfolk, England. The royal family of five has a home in Norfolk—Anmer Hall—where they’ve reportedly spent lots of time this year.

In the photo, George, Charlotte, Louis, and William can be seen holding hands and smiling, wearing shorts and t-shirts.

Unlike William’s Father’s Day photo just days earlier, the kids didn’t write the caption. This time, Kate did. It read: “Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx.”

Kate, William, and the Wales kids ‘can look to the future with positivity’

Royal expert Jennie Bond shared her analysis of the image, telling O K! that it shows the Wales family’s positive outlook.

“I think this photograph tells us that they are still able to jump for joy, even in the toughest of times,” she said. “And that Kate has deliberately chosen a picture that speaks of their optimism for the future.”

Kate stepped out at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024, alongside William, George, Charlotte, and Louis. It was not only her first public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 but also her first outing of the year.

Noting 2024 (so far) must’ve been a “testing time” for William and Kate’s marriage, the photo is all about looking to the future.

“To think about the future must have been incredibly unsettling,” Bond said. “But I think that picture has been deliberately chosen to show that they are now all in a frame of mind whereby they can look to the future with positivity.”

William’s birthday photo showed his marriage is ‘stronger than ever’

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Bond continued, saying the snap also provided some insight into William and Kate’s marriage. “She [Kate] adores William. He is her rock and has supported her so selflessly through all of this.”

William “has taken flak from members of the public for not doing more and for devoting himself to her. So she adores her man. I think their marriage is stronger than ever,” she said.

The heir to the throne took a break from royal duties following Kate’s diagnosis before returning to work in April 2024, the same month they celebrated 13 years of marriage .

“It’s a great accolade to a person to have your partner who has such a public role, but any partner just say, ‘OK, I don’t care what people say, you are my priority,’” James continued.

“William has made it absolutely clear that Kate and the children are his number one priority,” she said, “and nothing is going to move him away from that path.”

Previously, when Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in a brief video, she explained that having William by her “side” was a “great source of comfort and reassurance.”

Now she still has “good days and bad days,” as mentioned in an emotional social media statement ahead of Trooping the Colour. However, Kate’s learning to accept “uncertainty.”

Meanwhile, William’s birthday photo isn’t likely to be the last from Kate this summer. George turns 11 on July 22, 2024, meaning another snapshot could be on the way. That is, unless William and Kate hire a professional photographer, as they did for George’s 2023 birthday portrait .