Yesterday the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released their first official royal portaits of their beautiful new family. The pictures were taken in Bucklebury, Berkshire in the garden of Kate Middleton's family home where the couple are currently staying until further notice, the New York Daily News reports, and were taken by the Duchess's own father, Michael Middleton.
Nearly a month after giving birth to Prince George, the Duchess has opted to forego royal tradition of immediately returning to Kensington Paalce. Instead, she and her new family are enjoying the confines of the Bucklebury mansion, where her parents Carole and Michael are always nearby to lend a helping hand. Though the Duke and Duchess are considering hiring Prince William's former nanny, Jessie Webb, when they return to the Palace, for now they are relying on the Middletons for extra support while Prince William works in North Wales as a search-and-rescue pilot.
The Middletons have done more than lend a helping pair of hands with the baby, however, as Michael Middleton took the new photos of the couple instead of a professional photographer as per tradition. The reason? The Duchess wanted her son to be in a "natural and relaxed environment" for the photographs, as a source told the Mirror.
The first official portraits feature Kate Middleton and Prince William sitting in the garden with their dogs, their beloved black dog Lupo cradled by Prince William as Middleton family pet Tilly naps off to the side. In the second picture, Middleton and Prince William stand and smile while the Duchess cradles Prince George in her arms, the sleeping baby wrapped in a white blanket.
This is the second time Prince George has been photographed since he arrived to the world on July 22, his proud parents showing him off outside of the Lindo Wing the following day. Like many of their decisions, the royal couple's choice to have a family member take the official portraits instead of a professional diverges from royal tradition. When their Kensington Palace residence Apartment 1A completes renovations, however, the new family (and Lupo, of course!) will move back inside the Palace gates. Middleton is already preparing to return to her royal duties on Sept. 12 with her first official appearance since giving birth set for next month at the Tusk Conservation Awards, and fans are already speculating on what she'll wear for the big day.
