Prince William is celebrating his 42nd birthday with the release of a jubilant new photo of him with his three children.
The uncharacteristically playful and casual photo shows William hand in hand with Charlotte, Louis and George as the four jump over what appears to be sand dunes.
“Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx,” a message accompanying the photo in a post on X said.
The sign off of “Cx” indicating the message is from William’s wife, Princess Catherine, popularly known as Kate.
It is not yet known where the photo was taken or who was behind the camera, although Kate has consistently played personal photographer for the family.
It has been a busy month for the royal family, the centrepiece being Kate’s first time in the public spotlight in more than six months at Trooping the Colour, the military parade to mark the King’s birthday.
The annual event was also a show of stability by the monarchy after months in which both King Charles III and Kate have been sidelined by cancer treatment.
Royals gather for age-old Order of the Garter service
Before Trooping the Colour, Kate provided a rare update on her health, saying she was “not out of the woods yet”.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” the princess said, adding that she faces “a few more months” of treatment.
