Prince William and Princess Kate thrilled followers with a 'Summer Rewind' carousel on their official Instagram account on Tuesday, July 28, featuring intimate family snaps and royal highlights. The post served as a semi-official farewell before the couple retreat for their private summer holiday. Many were delighted to glimpse personal family moments interspersed with snapshots from recent public engagements and charity initiatives.
Family Photos and Royal Engagements
Featured in the post was a casual, candid photograph of Prince William and Kate relaxing on the grass with Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, accompanied by their family dogs, Orla and Otto. Also included were individual summer photographs of all three young royals, including the recent monochrome portrait of Prince George marking his 13th birthday on July 22. Significant occasions from recent months also featured, such as their striking appearance at Royal Ascot – Princess Kate's first attendance at the event in three years – and an outing to the Wimbledon finals with George and Charlotte.
Videos showed Prince William at the controls of a Formula E racing car and attending Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday celebration. Kate's remarkable Three Peaks Challenge was also highlighted, where she successfully conquered the highest mountains in England, Scotland, and Wales within 24 hours, raising money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Fan Reactions and Allegations of Copying
The Prince and Princess of Wales wrote alongside the post: "The Summer Rewind. Thank you to everyone who has made the last few months so special!" The upload attracted over 203,000 likes from followers, with countless people expressing admiration for the 'beautiful' family snapshots. One person wrote: "A spectacular and beautiful summer so far. It's so great to see the Princess of Wales healthy and back at it again! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!"
Despite widespread affection, some made the assertion that the Prince and Princess had 'copied' the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle's comparable summer update. Meghan shared her seasonal roundup on Instagram on Thursday, July 23, offering a rare, intimate glimpse into her private world in a post headlined, "Summer Holiday". The collection featured snapshots from a personal European escape and a family visit to the UK with Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
One person wrote under Prince William and Princess Kate's post: "Always copying the Sussexes lol." While another added: "Now everyone say, 'Thank you Meghan.'" One user also weighed in: "A bit of advice: (1) Don't be so obvious, (2) use actual, personal, authentic, non-curated photos, and (3) pick better music for your reels!"
Fans Defend the Royal Couple
Numerous commenters rushed to the defence of Princess Kate and Prince William, with one remarking: "How are they copying? This is something they post on a regular basis!" The royal family is now anticipated to spend the coming weeks away from the public spotlight, enjoying their customary private summer retreat at Anmer Hall in Norfolk or the Isles of Scilly, before returning to their official engagements in mid-September.
