Prince George of Cambridge is six years old! Last Sunday, to mark the occasion, Kensington Palace released three new photos of George. The two showing him in his England football jersey were taken last month by the Duchess of Cambridge in Kensington Gardens.
The third, showing him in a green polo and swim trunks, was taken last week during an ongoing family holiday in Mustique. The family is reportedly there for a two-week break to celebrate George’s birthday and get away for a bit. They will be back in time for William and Kate to host the King’s Cup Regatta on August 9, but other engagements are on hold until the Royal Family re-emerges in September.
These pictures follow the same format taken in recent years for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – photos taken privately by Kate, usually at Kensington Palace or Anmer Hall. Birthday portraits of George have usually been slightly more formal, most likely in deference to his position as a future sovereign. So, this was a nice change of pace for the eldest Cambridge child, and the release of the third picture from Mustique was a pleasant surprise.
The Cambridges have usually kept a pretty close lid on their holidays in part for privacy and in part, I have to assume, because some people tend to get a bit testy about members of the RF taking luxurious trips. And Mustique is nothing if not luxurious, though it’s been a destination of choice for William and Kate since long before their marriage. Indeed, Kate’s parents and siblings usually makes it there annually.
By taking a holiday in mid-July, the Cambridges are definitely kick-starting summer a little earlier than they usually do. I think that’s in part because of the engagement they have scheduled in early August, and in part because of George’s birthday. My guess is that the majority of August will be spent in Norfolk, and then later in the month we’ll see them make the trek to Balmoral to spend time with the Queen, who has officially taken residence.
With all the Meghan drama, it’s been a while since we’ve heard criticism of Kate (more on that issue later), but news of their summer schedule definitely re-raised the issue of the Cambs’ contribution. Here’s an excellent https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Twitter thread on the issue that I think summarizes the state of play quite well.