Kate’s photo for William’s birthday proves they are going from strength to strength, says Sun Royal Photographer

PRINCESS Kate’s photo for Prince William’s birthday proves they are going from strength to strength, says a royal photographer.

It comes after a photo of the next in line with his children at the beach was shared on social media to mark his 42nd birthday today.

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Arthur Edwards, who has covered Firm for the Sun since 1977, has recorded seven royal weddings, four funerals and seven births.

It saw the Prince of Wales evolve from a shy student to a strong future king, as well as his relationship with Kate, from a blossoming college courtship to marriage and fatherhood.

Arthur took some of the last photos of Kate before her hiatus from duties over Christmas and was among those covering her return last Saturday on Trooping the Color.

Amateur photographer Kate, also 42, took a photo of children George, Charlotte and Louis with their father, showing them jumping on the beach.

She also took a similar photo on the same beach on Father’s Day last week.

Describing the latest photo, Arthur said it shows not only that the Wales family is a strong unit, but that William and Kate’s marriage and role in society are stronger than ever.

He said: “From the looks of it, it’s getting stronger and stronger. And, as this photo shows, the future of the Royal Family is in good hands.

“You know if you have a smiling, happy family, every time you take a picture, you have a loving, happy family.”

He continued: “Catherine became a super photographer. This is a difficult photo to make at the best of times.

“You might be able to get it right, but she got it right. The children are loving it and, above all, so is the birthday boy himself.

“For Prince William, family is everything and this showed that.

“Even though Catherine isn’t doing very well at the moment, she still manages to press the button at the right time because that photo is fantastic.”

Saturday’s Trooping the Color saw Kate with her children on The Mall and then on the Buckingham Palace balcony with William and other royals.

Arthur said: “I don’t know if they put it on purpose next to the king, but you know that they are both suffering from this terrible disease, and they both seem to be overcoming the illness and getting fit and well again.

“Cancer is a disease that can knock you down, but it has good days and bad days. When she took that photo she was certainly having a great day.”

He went on to say that it’s “pretty clear” that Kate is “becoming and has become an absolutely huge star” for the Royal Family.

“She is a favorite attraction for royal fans as well as watchers and commentators,” Arthur added.

“Everything she does sparks huge interest and there seems to be huge positivity around her and Prince William.

“They are the future, aren’t they? These are the Prince and Princess of Wales, and they will be the King and Queen.”

He continued: “She is a star and gives her all. She’s a mother, she has staff to help with that, but she has public appearances, she’s involved in numerous charities and cares about them and when she does things she gets involved in them.

“This lady was almost born for the role. She was a commoner, met the prince at university and they got married.”

Arthur remembers talking to William the day he got engaged to his future wife.

He told the photographer, “I want this marriage to last forever.”

Arthur said: “From the looks of it, it’s getting stronger and stronger. And, as this photo shows, the future of the Royal Family is in good hands.”

He went on to say that in many ways, William’s “primary role” is to train his eldest son, 10-year-old George, for his future role as king.

“He is shy like his father was when he was that age. I remember him clearly, being very anti-photographers and anti-photos and everything,” she explained.

“But it will help that Catherine, as George’s mother, is there with the camera, saying come on, let’s do it again. I bet we can do this a few more times and get it right.

Arthur said it was a testament to William and Kate that they protected their children so well, despite the little ones “dominating the news agenda”.

“There was Louis during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee almost usurping the Queen. He almost became the star of the show,” he said.

“And there was Charlotte a few years ago on the Isle of Wight sticking her tongue out at photographers.

“They certainly behave when they need to, but they are children, we shouldn’t bother them with problems or stress.

“The role they’re supposed to play is at the forefront of life right now. They just need to be kept normal.”

He said that playing on the beach and going to school, as well as doing homework every night will help with this normality “until their time”.

“Of course William and Catherine protect them from invasion,” Arthur emphasized.

“The paparazzi never worry about them anymore because they can’t take pictures of them.

“Instead, their mother shares photos of them with us, with the world. Good for you, Catherine and William, of course.”

He said William showed a lot of strength while Kate was “out of action”, having started cancer treatment in February.

“He did brilliantly, but having downtime like this is a breath of fresh air,” he explained.

“William always said he wanted to be there at night to read to the children before they went to bed.

“He doesn’t want to be an absent father, always working. He spends time with them.”

Referring to the photo, Arthur added of Kate: “I can’t believe anyone else would have taken this photo other than her.

“I don’t think anyone else could have taken a family photo like this except mom and my God she is so talented, and this is a beautiful photo.”

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