In celebration of the milestone birthday, it's splendid to see such relaxed photos of the Wales family. They look as if they've been plucked from a family album. It's been a year of celebrations with Harry and Meghan's wedding, the arrival of Prince Louis and news Baby Sussex is on the way. Charles' 70th birthday offered the perfect opportunity for the release of these photographs. The family are dressed in navy and white with the children in lighter blues.
A closer look at Meghan. The Duchess wore a white and navy Givenchy sheath dress with a belt.
Of course, we saw Charles, Camilla, the Cambridges and Sussexes together for Louis' official christening portraits in July. At the time, I noted in addition to sharing a lovely family photo I felt it evoked powerful imagery of the future of the Royal family and the key players in Charles' monarchy.
Meghan has forged an incredibly close bond with Prince Charles according to a number of royal reporters. The image of him meeting Meghan at the Quire remains a vividly memorable moment from the day.
In the BBC documentary Prince, Son and Heir, marking Charles' milestone birthday, Harry recalled speaking with his father: "'I asked him to, and I think he knew it was coming and he immediately said, 'Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs, and I’m here to support you,'' Harry said. 'For him, that’s a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support, and you know he’s our father so of course he’s gonna be there for us.'"
Charles was on hand to assist with wedding planning and instrumental in choosing the music for the service. Meghan described his involvement as "really fun". It was the support and kindness he showed Meghan's mother Doria from the moment she arrived in London that particularly touched Meghan. During her speech at the wedding reception, the Duchess thanked Charles. The Standard reported: “It was important to her to make a point of thanking him publicly, although, of course, he knows privately how she feels.” In the documentary, the Duchess of Cornwall recalled the wedding and reaction: "I think it was a very it was a lovely gesture. A lot of people seeing my husband take the bride’s mother by the hand to sign the registry, it’s something that moves everybody. It’s the things he does behind the scenes that people don’t know about. I don’t think people really quite how kind he is."
Harry and Meghan postponed their honeymoon to attend the Prince of Wales' 70th birthday patronage celebration in the gardens of Buckingham Palace days after the wedding.
In August, Harry and Meghan began their summer break with a week at the Queen Mother's Scottish retreat, the Castle of Mey, with Charles. In a piece for The Mail on Sunday, Ian Gallagher wrote: "Sources said Charles told a member of his family that the week with his son and daughter-in-law was ‘joyous’. There were coastal walks and a spot of bird watching. I think it’s fair to say that Meghan has brought Harry and Charles closer, and Charles is thrilled to have a new daughter-in-law. The Prince’s close rapport with Meghan, whom he walked down the aisle in place of her absent father, has delighted Prince Harry and senior members of the Royal Family. It is an understanding that has been further strengthened by a shared love of art, history and culture, with Charles describing Meghan as ‘incredibly smart’." Below, a watercolour of the Castle of Mey by Charles.
To mark the birthday, Charles allowed unprecedented access as he opened his homes, Clarence House and Highgrove, to Google's Street View. Viewers can take a 'virtual tour' of several rooms at the residences, affording a detailed look at art, furnishings and interiors. Click here to take a tour of Clarence House.
Wishing Prince Charles a very Happy Birthday!
In other news, Kensington Palace confirmed Harry and Meghan will attend the Royal Variety Performance on Monday, 19 November. The Royal Variety Performance takes place every year and is held in aid of the Royal Variety Charity (RVC) of which the Queen is patron. The money raised from the show helps hundreds of entertainers throughout the UK, who are in need of help and assistance as a result of old age, ill-health, or hard times. The evening will be hosted by Greg Davies and will include performances by Take That, the cast of Hamilton, George Ezra, Clean Bandit, the cast of Tina: the Tina Turner Musical, and Andrea and Matteo Bocelli. The star-studded event is always a highlight on the royal calendar, and we can expect to see the Duchess in a gown for the evening.
Happy Birthday to Prince Charles: he was a fantastic father-in-law at the wedding!
ReplyDeleteI am sure he appreciates Meghan.
The Givenchy dress on the family photo is very chic!!
Meghan fits right in. Charles seems to have taken to her early on, and they look like old friends. I think blue and white combinations like this always look classic and smart. Great post as usual, Charlotte. I hope we get good arrival photos for Charles's celebration. I remember when we both were quite small, seeing him on television ... how time flies. Happy days for the future King.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly it, Greybird, they're just like old friends. It's really heartwarming to see. I know that for me, Meghan's relationship with Charles has endeared him to me much more than before. In the past, I didn't really like him much. It's nice to see him in a different light.
DeleteLovely family photos and a delightful surprise post. Thank you, Charlotte. Hope Charles birthday will be a wonderful party.
ReplyDeleteLovely family portraits.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing Grandpa Prince Charles with his family delightful pictures. Oh boy how Prince Louis has grown!
ReplyDeleteThe tour of Clarence House was a nice extra. And the family portrait warms my heart.
ReplyDeleteLovely family photos. Thank you, Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to see the artwork/interiors of Clarence House! The painting of the Queen as a young girl is absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos -- Louis looks just like Kate! Charlotte definitely favors the Windsor side. And George, good grief! He's grown so much -- he's for sure going to be tall and lanky. I love his little smile.
ReplyDeleteMeghan fits right in. I love all the tidbits we keep getting about her relationship with Charles. I never had a very high opinion of him before, but that's really taken a turn for the better since Meghan came on the scene. It's nice to think, too, that she's improved Harry's relationship with his dad. I wonder how many of those rumors are true -- as in, I wonder if his relationship with Charles really was that strained before Meghan? It always seemed that way to me, but then I never paid much attention to Charles before. It's really heartwarming to see how well he and Meghan get along.
I tend to think all the gossip is rubbish if no one from the palace confirms, Harry has never spoken about a bad relationship with his dad so I tend to think the rumors were rubbish. Thanks to Meghan and her relationship with Charles, now we all now how kind he is, but I like to think he always had a good relationship with his sons. Harry said he supports his father and Camilla last month.
DeleteForgot to add that I can't wait to see what gown Meghan pulls out! I'm hoping for something scrumptious, like that amazing Oscar de la Renta bird dress from the tour. Also hoping for a bit more glitter, although I know that's not her thing. One can dream!
ReplyDeleteBecca H,I think Meghan will wear something very minimal or she will recycle a gown.
DeleteNo glitter or something glamour,because Prince Charles is the star of the party!
Wow - what beautiful photos of the whole bunch! I wish they would do this annually, like the Swedish royal family do. Those photos are always so much fun and allow us to see how much the kids are growing. I'd love if the Sussexes release a few formal but casual portraits every year (formal/casual if that makes sense...kind of like the ones above) taken by their fave photographer Alexi Lubomirski :)
ReplyDeleteFormal but casual!! But, yes, that’s exactly what these are. Formal enough to be appropriate for an official portrait, but also casual enough to show each person’s personality and character and a glimpse of how they all interact.
DeleteI'm also excited that we should get pics from the big party tomorrow. So exciting! Does anyone know if it's white tie and tiaras? I'm guessing no, since his 60th wasn't, but I really hope it is! I'm so curious to see what Meghan's next tiara will be since her wedding tiara is on exhibit. Maybe she and Harry will attend the diplomatic reception in December so we'll get to see them in the car with a new tiara! Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI adore tiaras,and the United Kingdom has a lot!But a birthday party is not a tiara event.
DeleteHappy Birthday Prince Charles! Lovely family photos!
ReplyDeleteGert's royals is reporting Harry and Meghan attended a dinner tonight at KP for the African Parks Network. I hope we'll get a picture or two.
ReplyDeletepretty sure they will be at C's birthday bash tonight.
DeleteMy comment was actually from the 13th. I think the time stamp isn't correct. Definitely attending Charles's birthday bash :)
DeleteReally beautiful pictures of the family. They all look wonderful. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHmm what a locely familty i Happy birthday prince charles
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. Happy Birthday to Prince Charles he is a good father to those 2 boys and raised them well after Diana died. You can tell how much they love him. I love the family photos and Meghan and Kate look beautiful. I do prefer Kate's dress.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to watching the documentary. I agree it was lovely what Prince Charles did for Meghan by walking her down the aisle. I do believe he would do anything for his sons.
Any idea what earrings Meghan is wearing?
ReplyDeleteGorgeous picture! Wow! Princess Diana is looking down on her family with love...sweet that Harry has his hands on Meghan’s waist, nice way to include their little one in the picture :)
ReplyDeleteLove the family photo. I laughed to myself in that it reminded me of all the Christmas photo cards that will soon start arriving in American homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many will have the "famous" Christmas Letter enclosed announcing the mostly embellished high points of the families previous year. Charles looks to be very proud of his growing family as well he should. Happy b'day Charlie!
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm really curious. Is a common american thing to send Christmas photo cards? I thought that a was a thing for richer families, but it seems to be more common than I thought? I would love to have such a lovely tradition in my country
DeletePretty much everybody sends Christmas cards - some to just a few friends, others to,everybody they know. You buy them by the box. In recent years, online companies do photo cards to order - a bit more expensive, but not too much. This tradition has been going on so long I'm not sure anyone knows when it started!
DeleteNope, everyone does it. Very common.
DeleteAnon 14:52 95% of the cards I receive are pictures of the family. It's a big deal here (though I don't do it). :)
DeleteThanks, Charlotte for posting this wonderful family portrait. Everyone looks lovely and happy.
ReplyDeleteI love the contrast of the formal and relaxed shots - I wonder what they were laughing at!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Louis looks just like mum. He looks quite different from his siblings as babies actually.
This is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful family and beautiful family photos!
ReplyDeleteI think that the dresses worn by each of the duchesses clearly represents their quintessential individual style preferences: Camilla's A-line dress, Kate's buttoned up shirt dress, and Meghan's shift dress with clean lines and solid colour. They all look lovely. Colour coordination is nicely done.
ReplyDeleteI love all the positive PR on Charles. I also like his painting very much. This is just such a great photo. Obviously everyone is very comfortable with each other---look how relaxed the kids are. And Harry is hanging o to Meghan---do we know if this is before or after pregnancy announcement?
ReplyDeleteJulia, I read your comments from the earlier post and I do now understand your issues. Your preferences are not at all hateful---you just feel the members of the monarchy should present themselves in a certain way, in a way that has been standard. I was thinking about that---through the years, we went from people only hearing about kings and queens and then, for the few, there were portraits. That changed when newspapers came about. And then there were still photos. And then early TV images. All that changed to the social media situation of today. I don't know how the royalty acted 500 years ago or even 150 years ago---it seems like you prefer how the Queen acted with her family maybe in the 60s or 70s, before there was negative gossip about family members. Not articulating this very well, but I do find this an interesting discussion. Perhaps they are acting more relaxed to be able to relate to "everyone"---Harry relates to the wounded veterans in a way that his grandfather or great-grandfather would not have been able to do.
I did burst out laughing on your comment that H&M would be kissing at Charles' coronation, though!!
I am interested in your thoughts whether the "slimmed down" version of monarchy is more popular in general. I would think it would be but I'm not in the UK.
I agree, Allison. Juliaxs comments were respectful. Personally I wouldn't read comments if everyone agreed all the time. I also wouldn't read comments if there is disrespect shown. Discussions are healthy.
DeleteRegarding the PDA, I have a feeling it's driven by Harry rather than Meghan. Good luck to anyone trying to tell Harry what to do! Lol!
I think we are seeing the evidence of a "slimmed down" monarchy now with the roll-out of Charles's massive PR campaign emphacising the transition- a campaign which started, I believe, at the Cenotaph a year ago. We have seen the bringing forth of Meghan and Harry and now the emphasis on Charles and his entire immediate family. Negative issues and stories about him are being challenged, one by one, beginning with the "meddling" statement from the film. I think his reputation and ego may have taken a hit during the year of Diana remembrance. Camilla's image seems to be getting a sprucing up as well as his. The current Charles Mother-son relationship and his relationship with William's family are being given kinder, gentler versions--they could be true. Camilla has spoken of his close relationship with her grandchildren from her first marriage. Now we are being shown his closeness to his grandchildren with Diana. Added to this is the interesting view of his connection to Louis. My thoughts? Louis so closely resembles early photos of Charles's beloved Grandmother with the dark, straight, prominent eyebrows, squarish face, and soft brown eyes. His Mother had these same eyebrows, most evident in childhood photos. Kate has hazel eyes and an oval-shaped face. Plus Louis is named for a beloved uncle of Charles's. Louis and the grandchildren may also represent an opportunity to re-visit his early years with his own sons which were viewed somewhat harshly in the Diana remembrances from her sons.
DeleteSometimes I think I see Catherine Quinn's hand in this huge media storm. No matter what relationships and issues are behind the scenes, there is no doubt that the future of the monarchy and the Queen's legacy will gain from this-actually, I would call it a "media blitz." There is a deliberate, controlled, goal-oriented-professional- feel to the past year's publicity involving Charles and his immediate family. Chris Jackson deserves every cent he is being paid, and then some. Marvelous photography and supportive remarks.
Julia, I know the question was addressed to you but I hope you don't mind my offering my ideas as well. I am also interested in your thoughts about what is going on promotion-wise in the royal family at this point.
Thank you for the lovely post Charlotte! I watched the documentary about Charles last night and came away very impressed. I've always had a soft spot for Charles and much admiration for all that he's done to help others and the environment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely family portrait! Everyone looks so happy and relaxed and the little glint in Harry's eyes tells me that he already knew that he was going to be a father sooner rather than later. I love what each lady has worn, it's interesting to see their individual styles together in one setting.
I really hope that the palace releases a large family portrait tonight. It's been quite a long time, long before William married, since the palace has released a portrait featuring all the extended Windsor family and with all the new members now would be a great time to do that.
Lovely, both the formal and relaxed photos! I am DYING to know what they were laughing at, and what Camilla was pointing toward in the relaxed one!
ReplyDeleteSo true, Becca. Charles seems a better man for this kindness.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post, beautiful family photo. Duchess Meghan looks lovely in that dress
ReplyDeleteGreat look. I absolutely love it. One could argue that it is very much rich women from New England watching a regatta style. But this is one of her best looks to date in my books.
ReplyDeleteC.