Now William is behind the camera! Prince and Princess of Wales swap roles as the future king takes a photo of his wife and children for Mother’s Day – after Kate previously snapped photos of Charlotte and Camilla
Prince William took a sweet photo of his wife and children on the occasion of Mother’s Day.
The future king, 41, shared the photo of the Princess of Wales, 42, with their three children at home in Windsor.
It marks a big departure from the usual portraits of the family, with William stepping behind the lens instead of Kate Middleton.
Kate is known for her love of photography and for the photos she has taken of her children and husband.
She also took photographs to mark Queen Camilla’s (then Duchess of Cornwall) 75th birthday.
This photo was shared by Wales to celebrate Mother’s Day – and unlike many of their family photos, which were taken by Kate, this one was taken by Prince William
The Princess of Wales takes photos of her children to celebrate their birthdays, like this photo she took and shared of Princess Charlotte
It has now become a tradition for the Princess of Wales to take photos to mark her children’s birthdays, making Princess Charlotte famous on her second birthday in 2017.
Gina Jones of Bumpkins, The Baby Show’s leading experts on baby photography, said at the time of the move to MailOnline that it was part of Kate and William’s desire to be ‘resourceful with money’.
Gina explained: ‘It shows how modern Kate and William are by being more approachable and having a practical approach.
‘It also shows that they are resourceful with money. You often see Kate in fashion and sometimes repeating outfits. By taking her own photos, this once again shows how skillful she is with money.’
Kate previously enlisted celebrity photographer Mario Testino to take family photos, but it looks like she’s having a change of heart – and she could be hoping for a permanent gig as royal photographer.
Simon Apps, director and photographer of PR photo agency Professional Images, offers another explanation for the move: ‘I don’t think the [then] ]gyuDuchess is looking to pursue a career in photography, but she could certainly eye the position of “Royal Photographer”, a title given to Lord Lichfield who sadly passed away from a stroke in 2005.
‘Like him, she is perfectly, if not better, placed to capture those intimate, spontaneous moments within the royal family for which he was so famous.’
And it’s not just royal watchers enjoying Kate’s work behind the lens.
As well as taking pictures of her children, Kate famously shot them for a profile in County Life magazine. The profile marked the 75th birthday of Queen Camilla (then Duchess of Cornwall).
Another photo of the princess (then Duchess) showed her husband Prince William and their three children
Her skills were recognized after she was awarded an honorary lifetime membership of the prestigious Royal Photographic Society in recognition of her ‘talent and enthusiasm’.
Founded in 1853, the association is committed to promoting photography and supporting photographers ‘regardless of their level of knowledge, equipment or skill’.
It organizes exhibitions and workshops and has a long tradition of links with the royal family.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were early patrons, while several official royal photographers were members. Professional photographer Lord Snowdon won the Hood Medal in 1978.
The association described Kate as an ‘excellent role model for keen amateur photographers’ and a spokeswoman said it was ‘clear she had photographic talent’.
Dr. Michael Pritchard, CEO of the RPS, said: ‘The Duchess of Cambridge has had a long-standing interest in photography and its history.
This photo of Prince Louis, taken by Kate, was shared to mark the young royal’s return to school
It has now become somewhat of a family tradition for Kate to take birthday snaps of her children, including these of Prince George (pictured, left) and Prince Louise (pictured, right)
‘She is the latest in a long line of royal photographers and the association is pleased to recognize her talent and enthusiasm through an honorary membership. We look forward to continuing our relationship with her.”
In addition to taking photos of her children, Kate was also highly praised when she shot a profile of Queen Camilla for Country Life magazine in 2022.
The profile, to mark the then Duchess of Cornwall’s 75th birthday, featured photographs taken at Camilla’s country retreat Ray Mill House in Lacock, Wiltshire.
A royal source said at the time that it was Camilla’s idea to ask Kate to take the photos.
Meanwhile, Country Life Editor-in-Chief Paula Lester said the publication “couldn’t be happier with the results” of the photo shoot.
She added: ‘In fact, the range of photos she took were so good that we struggled to choose just three, from which the Duchess of Cornwall made her final choice.’
Kate took this famous photo of the Queen and Prince Philip with all their great-grandchildren (except Archie and Lilibet)
According to Paula, Kate took the job ‘very seriously’ and was ‘incredibly professional’ about the task.
“She called me to discuss our wishes for the cover and then put together a series of beautifully shot images,” Paula explains.
Additionally, the magazine’s editor, Mark Hedges, said everyone was excited about the photos that captured Camilla “beautifully.” He added that the magazine would be “delighted” to offer Kate another commission.
The princess, who studied art history at St. Andrews University, has been spotted several times taking photos during royal tours with her Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
She is expected to have knowledge of all aspects of photography.