The Real Reason Behind Kate Middleton's Tradition of Taking Her Children’s Official Photographs

Kate Middleton has a special annual ritual for her kids. She likes to take official pictures of her children. The Princess always had a passion for photography, and hence chose to take these pictures herself. The Wales family birthday portraits often get praised for the free-spirited capturing of the royal children. The tradition also stems out of privacy concerns.

The privacy of the kids is of immense importance to the royal couple. In exchange for the portraits of their kids, Prince William and Middleton have made a pact with the British paparazzi to spare the children from any scrutiny, as reported by Marie Claire.

Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis, often steal the limelight when out with their parents for official ceremonies, but otherwise, they stay removed from the public eye. On their birthdays, the mother of three shares their special pictures.

Recently, she released an adorable carousel of images of their daughter, Charlotte, who turned 9 this year. With her mother behind the lens, the images reflect ease and carefreeness. According to Cosmopolitan, royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter, noted, "Nothing is a given. But in terms of managing to keep a good relationship with the British media, it’s in William and Kate’s interest to release photos." Royal expert and ABC News royal contributor, Omid Scobie, also echoed,  "William and Kate want to bring up their children as normal as possible."

Additionally, according to reports, when Middleton and William moved back to Kensington Palace, they had gardeners plant conifers i.e., Christmas trees outside their residence as a precaution against long-lens cameras. They created a 40-foot-high and 820-foot-long barrier around the home to ensure paparazzi fail to sneak unwanted photos of their daily activities. 

During a podcast interview with Giovanna Fletcher, Middleton shared why she loves clicking the pictures herself. "I’ve got this one photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell, and really for me, it’s moments like that mean so much to me as a parent. I try every day to put moments like that in, even if they are small or even if I don’t have the time." The picture in question is amongst the earliest shared on their official Instagram handle, @princeandprincessofwales. It invited a lot of love and blessings. 

Another snap that went viral showcased the Princess rocking her newborn baby brother, Louis. The caption read, ‪"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share two photographs of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, taken by The Duchess at Kensington Palace.‬ This image was taken on 2nd May, Princess Charlotte’s third Birthday.‬ ‪The Duke and Duchess would like to thank members of the public for their kind messages following the birth of Prince Louis and for Princess Charlotte’s third birthday.‬"