Prince William was 43 on June 21. For his birthday, he and his family celebrated with a new family photo, which quickly spread joy across the internet. The image was taken by Princess Kate earlier this month at Windsor Castle and shows the Prince of Wales sitting on the grass and smiling, as he was joined by Orla, their family dog and four black cocker spaniel puppies!
The photo was shared on the official royal Instagram page with a message from Kate and their children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—who said "Happy birthday Papa, we love you! C, G, C & L" and Orla and the new puppies in the text.
This rare family moment comes while the family is struggling. Princess Kate is participating in cancer treatments, while King Charles has also suffered health issues. In interviews, Prince William has also called the last year "brutal". But, the silly birthday post offers fans some moments of real joy and family time in a difficult season.
Orla was welcomed into the Royal Family with puppies in May and they bring yet more welcome excitement to the family, and the three children in particular. Orla, a black cocker spaniel, joined the family in 2020 as a gift from Kate's brother, James Middleton, after the family lost their first dog, Lupo.
Prince William was recently able to celebrate his birthday, and soon afterwards he joined other senior members of the Royal Family for the important ceremonial events such as Trooping the Colour and the Order of the Garter ceremony. We also saw Princess Kate briefly at Trooping the Colour, marking her first public appearance since announcing her diagnosis earlier this year. The Princess will have been disappointed at missing Royal Ascot, but she is getting back to public life in stages, whilst she continues to recover.
Additionally, the royal family posted a birthday tribute from King Charles and Queen Camilla that included an old photo of a younger William with his dad. The warmth of these messages and the fact that we had some pictures made the family's birthday recognition different, a little less private than usual for the family.
Of the many photos of William released, the sweet picture of the birthday boy sitting with puppies seemed to resonate with the public the most. It was a reminder that even a future king could find joy in the simple moments of family life—as the youngest child in the family, certainly William could be reminded of home. It was a unique and tender moment of joy where photographs, rather than words ruled the year. It was also a distraction from an otherwise serious year for the royals.
Image Source: People.com
