Fifteen years on from the fairy-tale wedding that stopped Britain in its tracks, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales have marked their anniversary in the most charmingly down-to-earth way possible: sprawling on the grass with the kids, the dogs, and what appears to be not a single royal worry in sight.
The newly released family portrait, taken during the Easter break in Cornwall by longtime royal photographer Matt Porteous, captures a sun-soaked moment of easy affection: William and Catherine lying on the lawn with Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales, joined by two family dogs – including a mystery 10-month-old puppy whose name remains under wraps, perhaps because even royal puppies deserve a little privacy.
Shared with a simple heart emoji and the message, “Celebrating 15 years of marriage,” the photo feels less palace portrait and more family picnic brochure, albeit one with considerably better tailoring.
And after a bruising few years for the royal household, the warmth in the image has struck a chord.
The Wales family has weathered a remarkable run of challenges, including Catherine’s cancer diagnosis and recovery, Charles III’s own cancer diagnosis, the passing of Elizabeth II and enough family drama to keep tabloid editors gainfully employed for decades. Through it all, William and Catherine have projected calm, strength and, occasionally, the expression of two parents quietly wondering who left muddy shoes in the hallway.
Their anniversary itself was not spent in candlelit seclusion or aboard some glamorous Mediterranean yacht, but in classic Wales fashion: with work to do. The couple carried out an official engagement in south London, visiting IntoUniversity, an education charity supported by their Royal Wedding Gift Fund. Rather than asking for traditional wedding presents back in 2011, the pair encouraged donations, helping raise more than $2 million for 26 charities. IntoUniversity, then operating in just six centres, has since grown to 46, supporting more than 60,000 young people each year.
Catherine, meanwhile, wore a sentimental necklace bearing the initials of George, Charlotte and Louis, a subtle reminder that beneath the titles, ceremony and centuries of tradition is a family very much centred on family.
Later, the couple reportedly had lunch at The Goring, the same hotel where Kate Middleton spent the night before walking down the aisle at Westminster Abbey in 2011, beginning a marriage watched by millions and dissected by millions more.
Since then have come three children, countless public duties and the sort of life changes familiar to many couples (moving house, raising kids, adopting pets) just with slightly more press coverage and fewer opportunities to pop down to the shops unnoticed.
Now settled at their Windsor home, the Waleses appear to be entering a new chapter: older, perhaps wiser, certainly busier and, judging by that anniversary photo, still very much in love.
Not bad for 15 years of marriage; three children, two dogs and the small matter of being one of the most photographed families on Earth.
Image: Instagram / Matt Porteous / Kensington Palace
