However and wherever the Prince and Princess of Wales saw-in 2026, the couple weren’t about to let it go unmarked on their social media accounts, even if their actual celebrations remained private. Wishing everyone a happy new year, William and Catherine posted a special photo for each of the last twelve months.
Some were poignant, like the picture of the couple commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day, and others depicted joyful moments such as Trooping the Colour. As a Royal Editor, my reaction to them might be a little different to most people and whilst each of the twelve snaps spoke volumes, what *wasn’t* in them also tells a story. It struck me immediately that Prince William and Princess Catherine included only one picture featuring any of their children.
The May photo showed William and Prince George talking with veterans as they marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day. This and many of the other pictures were taken at occasions where none of the Wales kids were present, but the July one at Wimbledon only showed Catherine presenting the trophy to winner Jannik Sinner.
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Both George and Princess Charlotte were there watching the final with their parents. I think the selection of photos without either of their two youngest children is very interesting as it ties in with the Prince and Princess of Wales’s general approach.
It’s clearly twelve pictures that are very much focused on their royal roles and public duties, drawing a line of distinction between their private and work lives. It’s possible that an exception was made for Prince George because not only was he attending an official tea party, but he’s also second in the royal line of succession.
(Image credit: Photo by Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
He will one day be King and is gradually being introduced to public life in preparation. Other than this, George didn’t feature in the snapshots either and I see this as a reflection of how he, Charlotte and Louis are being given the space and privacy to be children and enjoy their lives away from the royal spotlight.
If Prince William and Catherine were choosing “unseen favourite” pictures from last year more generally, their children would no doubt feature heavily. Instead, they opted to shine a spotlight on certain occasions and this also in turn will raise awareness of causes and organisations they champion.
It also helps to define that difference between them as members of the Royal Family and them as a mum and dad. In Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler, the Prince of Wales told Eugene Levy that “the most important thing in [his] life is family” and this is why a good work/family life balance is key.
(Image credit: Photo by Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty Images)
“If you don’t start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you’re setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall,” he declared. “So it’s about making sure we feel we can look after our family and our children in a way we feel is best for their future.”
Only sharing certain pictures of Prince George, Charlotte and Louis could potentially be part of this. They feature in photos to mark their birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, though outside of this they’re not often seen on their parents’ social media. This makes a lot of sense privacy-wise and it’s interesting to see this come through in the New Year post.