England's royal family continues to (slowly) adapt to the changing times.
To mark Father's Day on June 16, the official Instagram account for the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a photo of Prince William with his three children along with a message that read, “We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day.” A heart emoji preceded the initials "G, C & L".
Kensington Palace confirmed that this is the first time a message from the children has been posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social channels.
The photo, which was taken by Catherine, Princess of Wales, in Norfolk last month, featured William posing on the beach with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. In the sweet snap, the family had their backs to the camera and put their arms around one another.
Instagram comments on the photo are overwhelmingly positive:
- "Princess Catherine, what a well lovely composed, photo with magic hour light. You have a real talent in photography. Thank you for sharing it."
- "Lovely photo ❤️ Love it ❤️ A Very Happy Father’s Day. Wonderful Picture. ❤️"
- "Beautiful photograph. Lovely family. Hope you make a full recovery soon Catherine 😍"
William also celebrated his own father on the holiday, marking the occasion with a post dedicated to King Charles III.
On Instagram, William shared a throwback photo from his childhood with his dad. In the snap taken, a young William donned a striped shirt and a pair of overalls while his dad wore a gray suit. The father-son duo were outside in the snap, with Charles appearing to kick a ball toward his smiling son.
“Happy Father’s Day, Pa,” the caption read, signed off with William’s initial.
Ahead of Father’s Day, the royal family was reunited at Trooping the Colour on June 15 amid the former Kate Middleton and Charles' health issues. In February, it was announced that the king was diagnosed with cancer, while Kate revealed her own cancer diagnosis in March after undergoing abdominal surgery earlier in the year.
Kate made her return to the public eye at the annual event, which marked the king’s birthday, and rode in a carriage with her children. She also appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace alongside William and their children, as well as Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla.
The day before the event, Kate gave a rare update about her health in a public statement, sharing that she was making “good progress” with her chemotherapy treatment.
In the statement, she wrote in part that she was looking forward to attending the parade with her family and had plans to “join a few public engagements over the summer,” but knew she was “not out of the woods yet.”
“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal,” she added.
