The joyous photograph of Kate and William indulging in a piggyback race in their garden at home, George and Charlotte clinging on to Mum and Dad, their heads thrown back, wind in their hair, was actually taken back in 2018. But it was the spirit of the shot that I suspect inspired the royal couple to choose it for a Mother’s Day Instagram post in these challenging times. Photographer Matt Porteus captured the moment when he was shooting the Cambridge family for the annual Christmas card. “It’s a very fun shot, very beautiful shot,” he told Hello! magazine. “It’s showing family togetherness, happiness.”
He’s right. Togetherness at home is the potent message here and as the world moved into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we all wondered if we’d ever feel that carefree and in close connection with each other again.
The innocence of this simple family game was echoed in another post from the Kensington Palace court, this time a video of Princess Charlotte, four, Princes George, six, and Louis, one, standing in a line, grinning from ear to ear and clapping uproariously. This, however, wasn’t a family lark, but royal work which comes hand in glove with their birthright. The captivating gesture from the youngsters lifted spirits not just in the UK, Australia and the Commonwealth where royals have a key role to play, but around the world as the Instagram post virtually soared, watched and shared by millions.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2020 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Where to go in 2024
Who doesn't love fantasising about their next trip? We've gone for lesser-known locations, and whether you're seeking bright lights, striking natural scenery, serenity or excitement, here's where you're sure to find it.
Money matters with Effie
Didn’t reach your financial goals in 2023? While a new year won’t wipe away pressures like rising costs, there are a few things you can do now to refresh your money mojo in 2024.
Bright stars in a rugged land
The hot, dusty opal fields around Lightning Ridge in outback NSW have traditionally been a man's world. Now The Weekly meets the women who have been struck by opal fever.
The gift of life
Maureen Elliott had just months to live when she went on St Vincent's Hospital's transplant list. Thirty years on she's one of the longest living heart-lung transplant recipients in the world.
An uncaged heart
After more than two years in Iranian jails, Kylie Moore-Gilbert has forged a new life that's brimming with love, and a determination to help others who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
The woman behind The King
As Sofia Coppola's biopic Priscilla readies to hit screens, we look back at the early life and great love of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley.
Say hello to the Cockatoo cake
When we put a call-out to our readers for their best children's cakes we were inundated with recipes, and this clever cockatoo was ahead of the flock.
The French revolution
Dawn French quit her sketch show because she felt so ugly. Now the \"roly-poly comedian\" wants us all to stop fretting about our faults. She talks body image, surviving the 1980s and owning her mistakes.
Trump's women
Will it be the jailhouse or the White House for Donald Trump this year? The women in his life could make all the difference.
Can you buy a good night's sleep?
Forty per cent of Australians have trouble sleeping, and the market has responded with a mind-boggling array of sleep aids. But do any of them actually work? The Weekly goes in search of slumber.
