The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have appeared to take inspiration from their European counterparts as they release the first official photos of Prince George.
Proud parents William and Kate decided to unveil a relaxed family portrait for George’s first official photo call, breaking away from royal tradition. The photos were taken by the Duchess’ father Michael Middleton and the Middleton family home provided the stunning backdrop for the two photos.
As the photos were sent around the world, a feeling came across many royal watchers – the Cambridges who will one day rule the commonwealth had followed the lead from the royal houses of Europe.
In recent years, royal houses of Denmark, Sweden and Norway have become renowned for their relaxed approach to family photos. Just earlier this year, Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark unveiled personally shot photos of her daughter Princess Isabella celebrating her sixth birthday.
Similarly photos of Sweden’s Princess Estelle marking her first birthday blowing out candles on the family table were released this year, while Norway’s Crown Prince and Princess posed candidly with their children and the family’s puppies.
Many royals in Europe have also joined Social Media sites – Greece’s Princess Marie-Chantal has gained over 11,000 followers on Instagram and regularly posts family snaps from holidays to school fairs, while Norway’s Princess Mette-Marit even has her own personal Twitter account.
So as William and Kate give us the first glimpse of Prince George, one wonders how modern and relaxed the Cambridges will be as they mature into our next King and Queen, and heir Prince George.
Certainly the royal trio look set to embrace the ever-growing world of social media, both Kate’s pregnancy announcement and George’s arrival became instant top trends on Twitter, and the hashtag #RoyalBaby is already one of the most retweeted ever on the social media site. But how far will the couple take their relaxed approach in a modern world?
Will we see the family pose for a fashion magazine such as Vogue, like their good friends Crown Prince Federick and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark chose to do for Germany’s edition of the fashion bible. The Danish royal house has continued to grow in popularity and their modern approach to balancing their historical position with the modern era has won them praise across the world.
One can only wait and see, but if the first official photos of William, Kate and George are anything to go by – it looks set to be a very modern future for the Cambridges.
Photo: Michael Middleton/PA
