Kate Middleton takes own photos of kids in 'PR masterstroke'

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Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William wanted to keep their children from experiencing the intense scrutiny the Duke of Cambridge and his brother Prince Harry had to contend with whilst growing up. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have benefitted from a more sheltered childhood thanks to the Duke and Duchess devising a “PR gold” strategy to protect them. Royal commentator Emily Andrew noted Kate’s passion for photography served as pivotal inspiration for the approach the royal couple adopted.

Speaking to Channel 5’s documentary Kate: Our Queen in Waiting, Ms Andrews said: “A masterstroke that William and Kate or their advisors came up with was to utilise Kate’s passion for photography.

“And so she decided that she would take her own pictures of the children and then these will be released to the papers and to the wider public.

“It’s PR gold, it still retains that home-spun narrative.”

She added: “This is not some formal portrait of the Queen or Charles when they were growing up. This is a new, relatable form of royalty.”

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The Duchess of Cambridge took over responsibility for official pictures of her children shortly after the birth of Prince George in 2014.

Other than on family photos, Kate has been personally snapped pictures of George, Charlotte, and Louis to mark special milestones such as birthdays.

She also took pictures marking Prince William’s 38th birthday, capturing her husband spending time and playing with their children.

The Duchess’ strategy is believed to have been inspired not only by her love for photography but also by the approach fellow royal Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden adopted with her own children.

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The future Swedish queen also experience the struggles Prince William had to go through growing up because of intense media pressure.

Seeking to shield the new generation of royals from the same occurrence, she took over the management of her daughter Estelle’s pictures shortly after her birth in 2012.

Royal commentator Camilla Tominey said: “The public reacted hugely positively, loving not only the fact that they could see such milestones as Estelle blowing out the candles on her first birthday cake but also that Victoria was behind the camera.”

Princess Victoria continued with the same strategy when her son, Prince Oscar, joined the family in 2016.

Ms Tominey added: “Conscious that the public would demand to see ‘at home’ imagery of George – and later Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – but anxious not to thrust them into the limelight, the Duchess borrowed an idea from Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden.”

The strategy of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also follows in the Royal Family’s own tradition to make the monarchy appear more approachable with selected and intimate pictures.

Kate drew comparisons with Queen Alexandra, the Queen’s great-grandmother, who became the first family member to take an interest in photography while Princess of Wales at the end of the 20th century.

Historia Dr Lucy Worsley said in her documentary Lucy Worsley’s Royal Photo Album: “Like her Edwardian predecessor, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge is a keen photographer, using the latest technology.

“But there’s ever greater pressure on her to provide images of her family lives.

“In recent years, she’s released photographs she took herself of life behind the scenes and posted them directly on Instagram.”

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