Amid the pomp and pageantry of Trooping the Colour, it is often the Wales children who steal the show. Over the years, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children have turned one of the most anticipated events on the royal calendar into a series of endearing moments.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who were last publicly out on Easter Sunday, returned to the spotlight on Saturday for their grandfather King Charles' official birthday parade: Trooping the Colour.
The children and their ever-elegant mother, Catherine, were immaculately dressed for the occasion, subtly coordinating in baby blue and white as they took part in the carriage procession, riding in the Ascot Landau. They later appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with other members of the royal family for the fly past.
George, who will be entering his teen years next month, appeared more like a young man than a child as he stepped out on June 13. His appearance alongside his younger siblings months earlier on Easter Sunday, showed just how much they'd grown since Christmas Day.
With each passing outing, it's hard not to notice how quickly Prince William and Catherine's children are growing up and soon George will even be off to secondary school. It seems like only yesterday they were each making their balcony debuts at Trooping the Colour, or Louis memorably shouting and covering his ears beside the late Queen.
While Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony, the Wales family's appearances at the event are often marked by sweet, small moments, like Catherine gently placing a hand on her youngest son's head, George sharing a laugh with his mother or the Princess of Wales checking in on her firstborn after a sneeze. The parade offers royal watchers a glimpse at the children's personalities and a window into how the family interacts with the eyes of the world upon them.
© AFP via Getty Images"What we see when the children join their mother to ride in procession at Trooping the Colour, is their close bond with one another, whether it’s Charlotte gently directing one or another of her brothers to wave, or the boys sharing a joke, there is clearly a lot of affection between them all," HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash says.
Emily also notes that George, Charlotte and Louis are all a "little bit older and more aware they are on show these days" and "if standing up there in front of thousands of people is daunting, it doesn’t show."
With each public appearance, the Wales children appear increasingly confident, no doubt a testament to how they are being raised. "I think William and Kate's approach to parenting has given them this confidence," Emily says.
© Jeff Spicer/Getty Images"They have a loving and stable home life where they are free to be themselves and that's what we see reflected in the way they carry themselves on occasions like this."
Prince William himself has spoken about creating at home an atmosphere of "safety, security [and] love" for his children, who are second, third and fourth in line to the throne, respectively. In an episode of Apple TV's The Reluctant Traveler, the dad of three said: "For me, the most important thing in my life is family, and everything is about the future and about if you don’t start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you're setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall."
The heir to the throne: "So it's about making sure that we can look after our families and our children in a way that we feel is best for their future."
With that groundwork being laid at home, the Wales children clearly appear poised for a bright future in public life.
