The Detail in Kate Middleton and Prince William's New Family Photo That Shows They're Doing Royal Life Differently
The Detail in Kate Middleton and Prince William's New Family Photo That Shows They're Doing Royal Life Differently
Staff AuthorWed, April 29, 2026 at 3:27 PM UTC
1
Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Prince Louis and Prince William attend Easter Sunday service at St. George's Chapel on April 5, 2026Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty -
Kate Middleton and Prince William shared a new family photo to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary on April 29
The relaxed shot shows the Prince and Princess of Wales lounging in a field alongside their three children, all barefoot
The latest portrait conveys how William and Kate are approaching royal life differently from past generations
Kate Middleton and Prince William kept things casual for their newest family portrait, keeping with their modern approach to royal life.
The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, April 29, by posting a new family photo to their official social media accounts. The smiley snap features William, 43, and Kate, 44, casually dressed, lying in a field alongside their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 8.
Adding to the laidback nature of the image, all five family members are dressed casually in summer clothes and, notably, barefoot — a departure from the formal wardrobe and portraits that previous generations of the royal family are typically associated with.
Members of the royal family are rarely seen in public without shoes on, with exceptions for specific scenarios where being barefoot is part of a tradition or custom.
Princess Kate shed her shoes for a visit to the Shreeji Dham Haveli Hindu Temple in Leicester last month. In keeping with royal tradition, however, she did still wear a pair of nude pantyhose.
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Kate Middleton meets worshippers during her visit to the Shreeji Dham Haveli Hindu Temple in Leicester on March 5, 2026Credit: Darren Staples / POOL / AFP via Getty
Prince William and Princess Kate have also been seen going barefoot in more casual situations. When William visited Brazil in November 2025, he didn't hesitate to kick off his shoes for a bit of beach volleyball with a group of children from the Levante Institute, a school run by Brazilian Olympian Carolina Solberg, that aims to transform the lives of children through sport.
Solberg praised the prince's performance to PEOPLE at the time, noting that the royal had "a lot of energy" and had some potential to be a formidable volleyball player.
Advertisement
"He's tall. He can hit, he can," she said. "I think he could be really good if he practices more."
Prince William plays beach volleyball in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 3, 2025Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
Prince William also went barefoot with his kids for a beachside pic shared by Princess Kate to mark his 42nd birthday in June 2024. In the silly snap, William, George, Charlotte and Louis are holding hands as they jump for joy on a sand dune.
"Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx," the Princess of Wales captioned the post.
Going barefoot in family photos released to the public is another small signifier of how Prince William hopes to modernize the monarchy. They've striven to be hands-on parents to their children, making school runs a priority and scaling back royal duties during school breaks rather than having their kids raised by nannies, and they opened up about Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis in 2024.
In his candid interview with actor and comedian Eugene Levy on the Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler, the heir to the throne opened up like never before about family life, personal struggles and how he hopes progress will be a cornerstone of his eventual time on the throne.
“I enjoy change; I don’t fear it,” he said. “That’s the bit that excites me — the idea of being able to bring some change....I want to question things more. Are we still doing and having the most impact we could be having?"
He continued, "If you’re not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor around you, and you can feel suffocated by it. I think it’s important to live for the here and now.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
