Kate Middleton and Prince William stand firm on important family decision as they share behind-the-scenes banquet photo
The Prince and Princess of Wales clearly chose the location for this new picture carefully and it made me double take
The Prince and Princess of Wales started a new tradition of taking a pre-State Banquet photo together last year and they didn't disappoint this time around as the royals welcomed the Sultan of Oman to Britain. This time, the future King and Queen's portrait was taken by photographer Greg Williams and it showed them standing in the centre of a magnificent staircase.
For a moment I wondered whether this could've been our first tantalising glimpse of Forest Lodge, but it was actually snapped at Frogmore House. Since the banquet was at Windsor Castle this would've meant going to Frogmore first and it's interesting that they chose to take this extra step rather than be photographed at home.
All these residences are on the Windsor estate so it wouldn't have taken loads of time, though it shows that Prince William and Kate aren't messing around when it comes to privacy. Outside of a few videos filmed in specific rooms during the pandemic, they've never shared pictures of their home and they're standing firm on this.
It makes sense, as they spend so much of their time being photographed and scrutinised and Forest Lodge is a safe haven away from all that. The Prince and Princess have drawn a clear line between their public roles and their private family life and although State Banquets are undeniably glamorous, they are part of their work.
Taking a pre-banquet picture at home would blur those lines. Prince Harry and Meghan have been vehement about wanting privacy for their own family, but also share quite a bit of their home life on her Instagram page, sparking a lot of discussion about this balance already.
There's another subtle link to the Sussexes in this new picture, as Frogmore House was where they had their wedding reception. Earlier this year, the Duchess posted snaps from their big day taken by Chris Allerton and now William and Kate have taken an official portrait there.
It couldn't have looked more regal too, as the Princess was wearing the Lover's Knot Tiara and she and William had on their respective honours and sashes. This is a powerful image that screams royalty, duty and tradition.
They could've chosen to take their photo at Windsor Castle if they didn't want to show their home, so going for Frogmore House instead feels significant. It could remind people how much has changed since Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding and that William and Kate are still here as working royals.
Even though it takes us behind-the-scenes before a State Banquet, it doesn't reveal too much and is low-key yet still poised. This epitomes the Waleses' approach, as they respect long-standing customs whilst taking steps to modernise the monarchy.
Emily Andrews, woman&home's royal correspondent, described the future Queen's skill at not oversharing during an episode of her Catching Up With The Royals podcast earlier this year.
"The public Catherine is quite reserved and quite formal and very warm with the kiddies…but she's not going to give you too much," she told co-host Revd Richard Coles. "The private Kate is quite different. Very warm, very friendly, and got a great sense of humour."
