It was a big day for Prince William yesterday, 21 June. Not only was it the longest day of the year. Not only was it Father’s Day. But it was also William’s 44th birthday. Surely that’s cause for a giant breakfast in bed and the biggest card the Royal Family could find.
We will likely never know what gifts Prince William received for this double-whammy of celebrations, but we did get to witness the ‘lovely’ message Catherine, Princess of Wales, and the couple’s children wrote for the day. On the official Prince and Princess of Wales account, a new photo of Prince William side-by-side with his 11-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte was shared.
The picture was taken at this year’s Trooping the Colour ceremony on 13 June, with William wearing the scarlet dress uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he is a colonel. Princess Charlotte, meanwhile, wore a cream dress as the pair posed together in the gardens of Kensington Palace.
Along with the photo the account shared a sweet message for Prince William, calling him ‘the best papa’. The caption read: ‘Happy birthday and Father’s Day to the best Papa in the World! We love you very much. C, G, C & L’, followed by the emoji of two pink hearts.
FYI, when a post to a Royal account is signed off with initials, this means a member of the Royal family has written the message. In this case, the post is from Catherine, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
The post, which has been called ‘lovely’ and ‘beautiful’ by fans, was accompanied by a separate Father’s Day post on the official account for The Royal Family. A photo of King Charles with his late father, Prince Philip, was shared with the message: ‘Celebrating all Fathers, and thinking of those who wish they could be with their Dads, today.’
Also over the weekend, Catherine wrote a heartfelt guest essay on the importance of nature and creativity in childhood, as part of her work for the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. It’s well worth reading in full, if only to feel freshly inspired by the power of heading out into the wild instead of spending another day in front of a screen, but there are particular parts that reveal interesting peeks at the Princess of Wales’ approach to parenting.
‘In an increasingly digitalised world, where so much of life is mediated through screens, the need for genuine human connection has never been greater,’ Catherine wrote. ‘Many of us yearn to reconnect with ourselves, with others, and the natural world. I believe that connection grounds us. It brings us back to our sense of self, to the present moment, to what is real and felt rather than abstract and distant. By spending time in nature or being creative, we can nurture the very skills and emotions that cannot be digitised: awareness, empathy, humility, and above all, love.’
Kate concluded her essay with a simple but heartfelt urge to us all: ‘Last week, a parent at my children’s school asked me if we could all do just one thing, what would it be? My answer is simple: to prioritise love. I’m not talking about overly sentimental and romantic gestures, but love that is quiet and unconditional, built on time and patience: the joy found in ordinary things; the everyday magic of life itself. This is how we stay well, remain connected to our inner selves and create the lasting relationships that nourish us throughout life. If we can surround children with nurturing, loving environments, we can help them build the human capabilities they need to thrive in the world today.’