George, Charlotte and Louis issue first ever royal statement with new Father's Day photo
Princes George and Louis and sister Princess Charlotte have shared a sweet Father’s Day message in a royal first.
The trio combined to wish their father - heir to the throne Prince William - their best wishes. The message was shared on their family’s official social media channels, along with a picture of the happy foursome taken in Norfolk last month.
Today’s message is the first time a post has been shared from their channels signed by the children in a royal first this morning. The message on X, formerly Twitter: "We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day." It was signed off "G, C &L."
The image was replied to by several Royal fans. One person said: "The sweetest picture ever, Happy Father's Day William, thank you for sharing this lovely picture with us. As usual, The Princess takes the best pictures of her family." Another added: "Love this. Great photo. My father was also my Papa. Much missed." Another added: "You have such a beautiful family Prince William, enjoy them and your day."
The children's message comes after their own father Prince William shared a moving post in tribute to the King as he revealed his affectionate nickname for the monarch. In a social media post, the Prince of Wales said “Happy Father’s Day, Pa. W” and attached a photo of a young William next to the future king, who had a small football at his feet.
The picture was taken on June 12, 1984, in the gardens of Kensington Palace, when William was not yet two years old. Later that same year William would gain a younger brother, with the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry born in September.
15/06/2024. London, UK. King Charles III and Queen Camilla and members of the Royal Family stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the RAF flypast. The Sovereign's official birthday is celebrated with the ceremony of the King's Birthday Parade. The impressive display of pageantry is performed by His Majesty’s personal troops of the Household Division on Horse Guards Parade. Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
The Royal Family’s X account also shared footage of Charles and his late father, Prince Philip, sourced from the BFI archive.
“Wishing all Dads, and those who may be missing their parents today, a relaxing Father’s Day,” the royal family’s official account said. Set to piano music, the footage showed several scenes of Philip and Charles together. In one clip Philip lifts baby Charles out of a pram, in another the pair are seen sailing together.
Princess Eugenie also posted on social media to mark Father’s Day. She shared a photo of husband, Jack Brooksbank, with their children August, three, and Ernest, one, on Instagram.
The photos were captioned: “Happy Father’s Day. We love you.” It comes after Charles’s official birthday celebrations on Saturday, where the Princess of Wales made her first public appearance this year.
It comes 24 hours after the Royal Family delighted millions at the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Whilst the King took the salute at the Horse Guards Parade, the children sat with mum Kate - making her return to royal life - in a balcony above.
Once again it was Prince Louis who stole the show who, luckily, had big sister Charlotte around to keep him in check as the ceremony went on. Millions of Royal fans were delighted on Friday when Princess Kate , 42, announced last minute she would be attending Trooping the Colour alongside her three children.
Once they were at the parade, Princess Kate and her children watched from a balcony. Louie was seen playing with a blind cord as the event went on. But instead of getting out of hand, Charlotte appeared to remind Louis who was the boss on the balcony and instructed him to stand straight while the national anthem played.
Prince and Princess of Wales at Trooping the Colour King Charles III official Birthday parade and balcony appearance by the royal family
Both Kate and Charles have thanked the public for their support after going public with their illnesses, with Kate saying she had been “blown away” by the “kind messages” that had made a “world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times”.
William’s Father’s Day message follows what has been a difficult year for the royal family. The prince has balanced supporting his wife and family with maintaining his official duties.
Kate was initially admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16 and at the time her condition was thought to be non-cancerous, but cancer was found following the successful operation. Charles was admitted to hospital just days after Kate, also for a procedure deemed unrelated to cancer.
In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed that he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which is not prostate cancer, that was discovered while the King was being treated at the private London Clinic for an enlarged prostate.
Charles initially postponed public-facing duties but resumed at the end of April, speaking of his “shock” at being diagnosed with cancer as he met patients during a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in central London.