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King Charles Pays Tribute to Prince William on His Son’s 42nd Birthday with a Sweet Baby Picture

Straight from the archives

King Charles and Prince William walking together
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Royal well-wishes are in order, as today, June 21, 2024, is Prince William’s 42nd birthday. The tributes to the Prince of Wales are rolling in—among them, King Charles shared a sweet tribute to his son this morning on social media.

Instagram story post from @theroyalfamily of a young Charles with son William in 1983, captioned
@theroyalfamily/Instagram

Straight from @theroyalfamily, the official account for the British royals, came an Instagram story with a photo pulled from the archives. In it, a young Charles is seen smiling and holding a happy baby William on his lap. The post came with a short and sweet message for Will: “Wishing the Prince of Wales a very happy birthday!”

Prince Charles and Princess Diana hold baby William at their home in 1983
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

The photo is one of a series of private family images taken at Kensington Palace by royal photographer Tim Graham. Getty Images dates the photos as from February 1983, which means the Prince of Wales would have been a little over six months old. In another image from the collection, 21-year-old Princess Diana smiles into the camera as her son plays with a stuffed bear.

Earlier this morning, Princess Kate also shared a new family photo for the celebratory occasion, writing, “Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much!” In the image, taken at a beach, Will is seen leaping joyfully into the air alongside their three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The caption was signed with a “C,” indicating that the post came directly from Catherine herself, along with an “x” for a kiss.

With Father’s Day, Trooping the Colour and Princess Catherine’s return to the public eye all happening in the past week, to say it’s been a busy few days for the royals is an understatement. Here’s hoping William gets some time to enjoy his b-day with his family.

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