Has Kate Middleton been re-granted an important royal role? Prince William's 'first look' at new project has me wondering
The Prince of Wales is following in the footsteps of several other royals with this job and the Princess has been involved before
The Prince of Wales has been quietly working on a special new project for six months and ahead of its release, he's teased a "first look" picture hinting at what's to come. Following in the footsteps of King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne, he's guest edited a 300-page issue of Country Life which will be available for just one week.
The special edition is available from 11th November and is in collaboration with the magazine's Editor-in-Chief Mark Hedges and Managing and Features Editor Paula Minchin. The new picture taken by Andrew Parsons for Kensington Palace shows the trio holding print-outs of the pages.
Mark appears to be holding a draft of the cover which features Prince William out in nature, his arms resting on a gate. We don't know yet who's taken the cover photo, but I'm wondering if the Princess of Wales could have been behind the camera.
The last royal who guest edited Country Life was William's stepmother Queen Camilla and the Princess was the photographer who captured her cover portrait. This picture was later crowned Cover of the Year by the UK Professional Publishers' Association and Mark Hedges has spoken about how "amazing" it was for Kate to be involved.
According to The Telegraph, he revealed that it was the Queen who said she'd like the Princess of Wales to take the picture. After "racking [his] brains" trying to think of a professional photographer called Catherine, he realised what Camilla meant.
"One of the most amazing things that could happen. I found it one of the easier things to nod my head at," the Editor said, adding that he didn't think "anyone else would have made her feel so relaxed". Having his Country Life cover image taken by his own wife would surely be a more relaxing experience for the Prince of Wales too.
She loves capturing pictures of her loved ones and a lot of her photos have an outdoorsy focus, which would be the perfect tie-in. When it was announced that the Prince of Wales would be guest editing a Kensington Palace spokesperson said, "The Prince of Wales has a long-standing passion for the countryside and the vital role it plays in the nation's life, culture and wellbeing."
"His guest editorship of Country Life reflects a desire to celebrate the people, places and innovative stewardship helping to secure its future for generations to come," they continued.
The magazine is going on sale just before this year's Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony is held in Mumbai, India. It might be that Prince William wanted another photographer besides Kate, to separate out their work a little bit more and ensure the focus remains on countryside life.
However, the Princess of Wales has always been incredibly supportive of her husband's projects and royal author Robert Jobson claims in William & Catherine that she encouraged him to put aside his fears and set up the Earthshot Prize in the first place.
"He did not believe he would achieve the funding needed to stage the awards over a decade, let alone the vast sums for the prizes," he writes, before quoting a former senior aide, who alleges, "Catherine was the one who convinced him to pursue it."
