Duchess Kate has been working hard on a passion project – a garden for the upcoming Chelsea Flower Show – and she and William figured the gorgeous results were the perfect photo shoot backdrop.
Kate’s co-created the Back To Nature space with some other green-thumbed types (The Royal Horticultural Society and garden designers Andrée Davies and Adam White) and explained how important spending time outside is to her and her family.
“I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental well-being, particularly for young children,” Kate told celebrity gardener Monty Don in a BBC interview.
She’s most certainly walking the walk – not just talking the talk – with her own gorgeous gang. In wedges and a floral frock, no less!
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis visited the Back To Nature garden and spent almost an hour playing with their parents while a photographer captured a bunch of sweet moments.
The royals just released six images taken in the garden on Sunday. They feature George and Charlotte barefoot and dangling their legs in a little stream, and Louis – who is … GASP! … on the toddle – with a very big stick firmly grasped in his hand.
The family also played together on a pretty amazing swing (which many are comparing an earlier photo of Kate on it to Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball!) and mucked about in various cubbies and treehouse type structures.
The garden has some features which mimic the Cambridge’s own garden at their country estate and some areas have been planted with forget-me-nots in memory of Princess Diana.
Royal watchers loved the photos and shared their delight on Instagram and Twitter.
“That picture of William with Louis melts my heart!!!! Beautiful photos!” one follower wrote.
“They are my favourites,” someone else gushed. “They are the future of the monarchy. We are lucky to have the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis!!!”
“Louis is so adorable,” another royal fan declared. “He is in that stage where everything around him is so fascinating. And Charlotte has got so grown up. So lovely to see the whole family out and having fun together. Kate has done such an amazing job with this project and it is lovely to see her husband and kids supporting her. Congratulations Kate on this wonderful achievement.”
“My goodness, those children have grown a lot! So cute!” another follower commented.
Back to bonding
It looks like an absolutely brilliant day out and hopefully will serve as a reminder that there’s more to keeping kids busy than screens – and that heading into the great outdoors together provides valuable opportunities for unstructured play and family bonding.
“In recent years I have focussed much of my work on the early years, and how instrumental they are for outcomes later in life. I believe that spending time outdoors when we are young can play a role in laying the foundations for children to become happy, healthy adults,” Kate said.
“I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together.”
