I forgot about this! When Princess Charlotte’s christening was held on Sunday, the Cambridges had hired Mario Testino to do some portraits of the family. Testino did the formal portrait of the Cambridges together with the extended family (the Middlestons, the Windsors and the Waleses), plus Testino did some informal portraits of the growing Cambridges. The @KensingtonRoyal Twitter account posted all of these photos, so they want the public to share them and enjoy them.
My favorite is the one of William and George – as much as I think William wasn’t around very much when George was a baby, the father and son do seem to have bonded since then. George looks very comfortable and happy with his dad. I like the informal photo of Kate with Charlotte too – very cute. Charlotte seems very dark in these photos, right? Am I imagining that or did she get full-on Middleton coloring? And it seems like Will and Kate got their second brown-eyed child, which is still bizarre considering Will and Kate both have light eyes.
Anyway… cute photos. I guess this will cancel out all of those stories about how much it’s going to cost to move the tennis court at Anmer Hall. It probably also cancels out the rumor/story that Kate didn’t meet with the survivors of the 7/7 bombings on Monday because she was with her trainer (but she still had time to go to Wimbledon!). Just look at the babies!! Chubby cheeks!
Photos courtesy of Mario Testino/@KensingtonRoyal.
I can not sanction that shirt on Mini Winston Churchill. It does not represent his leadership and strength of character. It says, “I yodel and raise goats”.
LOL!
i absolutely agree, Kiddo. He had an entire wardrobe of uniforms commissioned for these state events and they insist on puffy sleeves. That brat Brendon, who always grabs the blue fingerprint before anyone else at Day Play, with never concede to George’s authority in puffy sleeves.
Miss Eyre: OT, but I really enjoy your blog.
PdP? Ah LAK – thank you. You have always been such a wonderful and loyal supporter. Please feel free to use any of the emails to offer any constructive criticism as well, I can take it; especially for the new Supermom chapters.
I swear I will update more regularly when this **** writer’s block breaks.
Luckily, his facial expressions say something totally different.
“I yodel and punch goats.”
“I punch yodeling goats.”
hahahaha to both of these interpretations!
Ha! So true!
So very true.
I’ll bet you a flowered hat that this was his exact train of thought: “You frivolus woman, how dare you dress me in such clothing? I shall remove whichever title my father shall have bestowed onto your family once I ascend. You know, in 60 years or so. Uh.”
A royal Stewie…love it!
Ha!
“I raise yodeling goats”.
That said, if anyone could pull off that kind of a look, it’s George.
All together now:
High on a hill is a lonely goatherd
Lay-yo-de-lay-yo-de-lay-ee-hoo!
Thank you Bearcat! I started singing it halfway through Kiddo’s post. (Love this place) 🐐🐐🐐
I’m laughing till I’m crying here.
Are frilly boy toddler clothes and mary jane type shoes for boys usual in England? They seem kind of dated, really, along with him always being in short pants. Cute kids though!
George is so cute!!!! He was much better looking than Charlotte at that age!
What? Why would you ever say such a petty thing? She is 60 days into her life! Sorry but comparing siblings attractiveness is just wrong.
TROLLING!!!!
All I see is cute!!!!! Both William and Charlotte and so adorable. Congrats to the whole fam bam.
Mayor edit, I meant George!!!!! I realise in my tired stare that I’ve turned into my mother. Calling a person by another fam name. I’m just going to go watch antique road show now while banging my iPad really hard with my fingers not understanding while no one will send her a life in candy crush ( because no one really plays that anymore mumma!!!).
I LOVE GEORGE. LOOK AT HIS TEETH. TOO CUTE.
Charlotte’s super cute too, she looks so alert, don’t be mean!
@Aussiegirl I didn’t mind being called by my sister or even brother’s name. It’s when I was called by the dog’s name I got a little offended. lol
all i want to know is – where is Harry in the family pic???
Harry left for his three-month working vacation in Africa a few weeks ago.
yes MooHoo, Harry should be there. It’s so sad.
the photo feel so middleton dominated. i wish harry had been there to even it out 🙁
Will NOBODY talk about the elephant in the room?
Her Madge’s PURSE!
Omg where IS the ever present purse?!?
it’s on the floor beside her feet.
But I can’t imagine her without a handbag, I mean you know it’s a big deal when J.K. Rowling herself makes it the title of fresh Harry Potter material. (that skit….)
I wish QEII would tell us what’s in the purse!!! WHAT IS IN THAT PURSE? Why doesn’t anyone ever ask her that question?
“Ma’am, what are the things that you cannot live without that one would find in your purse?”
If it were me I’d answer: cell phone, Blistex, reading glasses, wallet.
I’m guessing a cell phone for family members, a lipstick, and some powder. Yes, her minions could carry the lipstick and powder (along with cash) but I would think she would want to carry them.
She probably has some cash to make a phone call in case she gets locked out of BP. Maybe there is a key in there.
A key to what, though? The red boxes?
I ask again: WHAT IS IN THAT PURSE?
More speculation about the contents the Queen’s purse:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10987809/Whats-inside-the-Queens-1000-handbag.html
OMG, Georgie Porgie the CHEESER. That is so cute. They may be a totally out of touch hands in who knows what Big Bank Business to keep it that way family of archaic catastrophe, but these are still great.
I think the photos certainly do help to cancel out the very questionable actions of the Cambridges. I’ll admit I just said out loud ‘Oh my, Charlotte is gorgeous’. These photos are quite lovely.
It was only a matter of time……..people didn’t like that they were at Wimbledon yesterday? Time to send out the Christening photos……..
how long were they supposed to sit on the pictures ?
Is it just me or does she look like baby North?
It is just you, sorry.
No it isn’t. I thought that as well for a second.
Look at the eyes on Charlotte. There is an “old sole” in there. She’s been on this earth many times before.
Agreed!
Not amazing, I’ve taken better with my iPhone. George steals the show every darn time. Love that boy!
The pictures of Kate are HORRIBLE!!! I think Testino must hate her. The rest are good, the one of George and William is absolutely adorable!!! Cute kid! Not the cutest kid in the world, as they all say on another fawning site, but still a cute kid.
Cute photos – Charlotte def has a look of TQ. George looks like a mini Pa Middleton. I wish James would get rid of that ‘crazy wild eyed look’ beard – it creeps me out.
Wonder if these were planned or in response to the Wimbledon outing (and no show for her at the 7/7 commemorations).
I enjoy James’s beard. His face is too feminine without it.
I like the beard, too. Sadly, James doesn’t have the bearing for it. Looks like a pretender.
Yes, she does. And that pic bbc.co of George and William is priceless.
I don’t like the beard. And I didn’t like it when William grew one either, though William had the good sense to get rid of it PDQ based on much negative feedback.
Beards are unhygienic also. Read the current studies.
Oh, absolutely they were meant to follow any fallout from Wimbledon. The thing is people can coo over George and Charlotte and still roll their eyes at William and Kate.
Just to be clear, are you suggesting that the baptism was actually planned to coincide with Wimbledon so they could use it as a cover for their love of tennis, or are you suggesting that releasing pictures during the week following the baptism is a cover? If the latter, what do you think the normal timeframe for releasing photos actually is? Had they held them a month, people would have been complaining about that.
They go to Wimbledon every year, as do many of the Royals. I can’t imagine why they’d need cover for the trip when they never have before, especially when Kate is still officially on leave.
Charlotte had to be christened before Elizabeth left for Balmoral in two weeks, so there’s the time frame. The christening happened during the tennis court/land grab backlash and unlike with George, they had a far more public event, have counted it as work and have waited four days rather than two to release pictures -right after Kate skipped 7/7 but showed up at Wimbledon. Official leave or not, her choices have caused a backlash.
Is this a all a coincidence or diversions? Well, William jollied about in a helicopter and then an essentially sanctioned candid of him taking RyanAir was published in the DM. Kate once wore a 50k necklace and after the backlash showed up in an ultracheap dress. They work right before they go on vacation. Coordinating good pr to offset bad pr is not out of character for them.
Several of you CB’ers called it with the photos.
These idiots are so transparent.
Kensington Palace announced the photos would be coming days after the christening. With George it was 3 days or so, so right on time. No need to speculate about their motives this time.
Mario Testino? Of course it’s Mario Testino. It’s horrible. The first photo is good, but those other photos…
Yeah, I was thinking the photos weren’t that great. Only George looks good. William and Kate look like mannequins…
Thank you, not up to his usual standards.
The photoshopping is obvious. The one where the four of them are outside, look at the shadows. They are not uniform. It looks as if Kate and baby were pasted onto a photo of William and George. The photo of Kate holding the baby, the baby’s head is huge, and out of proportion. There were probably some touchups on the group photo too, but they aren’t as blatant.
Whatever one thinks about the parents, those children are perfection. You could eat that George up, and Charlotte has the most beautiful wide eyes. She’ll be a beauty!
The constant comments on the attractiveness of the babes confounds me. I don’t get why it matters. And they look like most kids, to me.
Agree, the babies are cute. Period. But some of these OTT comments? They’re the same type of gushing niceties we’ve all probably heard by those who admire wealthy and popular people. It’s kinda like ass-kissing but with no expectation of any reciprocal attention or favor from the admired. I guess it makes them feel like they’re on the *right* team.
I know he’s not exactly the focal point of these photos, but Philip looks good! He’s been looking really ill recently (and not surprisingly, given that he’s 94!) but he’s got a great smile going.
George is just so damn cute.
I thought the same thing! Looks pretty hale and hearty. Nice to see the old s.o.b. looking so well.
Given his age, I was wondering why he wasn’t seated but he probably swore a blue streak and said he would STAND with the men!
Photoshop?
the quality of the pictures seems rather messy.
Let’s be honest, a fashion photographer would make fabrics look SO much better in pictures than what we see in the Charlotte and Kate pic. I guess that sadly Testino received the order to take pics that seem as if commoners make can make them. Seems kind of a waste of a photographers talent.
Philip looks really good btw
I thought Kate’s eyes were Hazel?
I’m pretty sure they are. And Charlotte’s eyes look dark because they probably are still that dark slate grey/blue that all newborns have. They’ll start to change soon and probably won’t be settled on a colour until she’s a year or so old.
That black and white photo is everything!!
I’m glad Princess Charlotte is dark – one less Diana comparison, hopefully. The pictures of Kate and the baby look like Testino used a cheesy instagram filter.
Love that formal family pic. Everyone looks so happy! The queen looks wonderful in pink.
Kate looks beautiful.
Yes, she does. And that pic bbc.co of George and William is priceless.
gotta love that photoshop !!
I usually hate Testino photos, but I like the lighting here. Very flattering.
Lovely pictures!
I doubt very seriously that the release of these pics will stop people from talking about their issues with the tennis court or the Wimbledon appearance v/s 7/7 because people will always be intent on finding fault with something about them. Complaints are a part of their every day life. Releasing pictures of their adorable family won’t change that. They know this and more than likely continue not to care about it as much as people may want them to.
I doubt much thought went into this other than they are a popular family worldwide and people want to see pictures of them and their children so lets give ’em some nice pics. *shrugs*
Stealing a farmer’s land so they can move their tennis court because it is blocking their view from the vegetable patch?
People find fault with them because the faults are there to be found.
wow – I used to doubt that the BRF had any timing strategy for releasing photos but now I’m firmly convinced that IS the case. When photos of George were released a few days early last year, Wm publicly stated it was a reward to the press for not taking photos of some recent private activity. So Wm absolutely uses photos as strategic assets and he is on the record stating he uses them as punishment and reward. Therefore imo it’s not a stretch to believe the BRF also uses to divert attention.
I feel like in the group shot everyones faces have been photoshoped. All the faces look weird and really bright and altered somehow.
or is it just me??
Oh no, I was about to write: “too much photoshop for me”, they all look fake to me.
I wonder how many minutes Testino had to take these photos. Because the group shot still includes a slightly side-eyed Carole. I bet he got mere seconds before HM grabbed her purse and got the heck out of Dodge.
Agreed. That was the first thing I thought when I saw the picture of the four of them……Kate almost doesn’t look recognizable. I don’t know why he thinks he needs so much photoshop.
I thought everyone looked photoshopped into the group picture too.
I feel like it’s the last page of a pop-up book…BOOM! Royal Family jumps off the page and scares the crap out of you.
I thought the same thing – the faces looked like masks to me. I didn’t think of photoshop though. That is probably the answer. Philip looked quite healthy!
Charlotte looks to have big cheeks like her mom did. The photos are beautiful.
Great pics! Everyone looks happy.
Pippa and James look weirdly out of place. Did Pippa spray-tan too much?
No amount of spray tan is ever too much. #PippaTips
Lol! I miss #PippaTips!
These are the pictures the world waited on for 4 days? This is the best Testino could do with the most beautiful children and parents in the world? Please. The photos are okay. They will smooth over any negative feelings from the last week, but that’ll be short lived once we find out the next tone deaf thing these two have done.
Where do you get “the most beautiful children and parents in the world”? These are average looking people at best and the pictures reflect that.
The Original Mia was being sarcastic, notice she goes on to describe them as tone deaf.
‘Most beautiful people/children in the world’ is how some people describe them. All because of their royal title.
George, take those feet off the sofa! : )
LOL. When I saw that photo I heard my mother’s voice in my ear!
yikes
that last picture, kate looks like a demon mannequin. her eyes are glowing like coals!
they look super photoshopped which is a shame because they don’t need it
Agreed. There are no whites left in Kate’s eyes.
Something nice… despite the overzealous suntan, I think Pippa looks very pretty.
Charlotte is absolutely gorgeous! I love that she has Kate’s eyes and…”coloring”?? Anywhatever, I love that pic and I’m pretty sure I have that filter on my phone. LOL!!
Hahaha the Queen’s purse makes another appearance! She set it on the floor in George’s christening photos too, all hail the royal purse!!
And while the pics are okay, it’s hard to coordinate when you have a baby and a toddler. We have a family portrait at home of me looking terrified sitting on my mom’s legs and my sister looking SO pissed off standing, the most epic frown that ever existed. Should probably scan it and post it to Facebook.
I really want to know what’s in the Queen’s purse. What would she be carrying that a servant wouldn’t hold for her.
The Corgi treats and some kind of high tech alarm/GPS tracking anti-terrorist device, I bet. And a hankie.
I would suspect a handkerchief and maybe some make up, but it’s used more as a signalling prop between the Queen and her assistants. If she places it on the table at dinner it means she wants it to end within the next few minutes, if she moves it between her arms it means she wants to move on from whomever she’s talking with, that sort of thing.
Is this true? I’ve never heard of the purse code.
Sea dragon: yep. It’s true.
I think I’ve once read an article about the contents of her purse
Kind of odd photos, excepting the group one which looks great. The first photo of Kate holding the baby looks like somebody has photoshopped a huge head onto a baby’s body. Something just seems off about them.
Lol they always do this. They were catching a lot of heat for the lack of work, so here come the baby pictures.
That’s so silly. These were announced weeks ago.
Scheduling the photo release in advance does not preclude a timing strategy.
WAIT. Kate’s eye makeup. Yeah heavy on the eyeliner, but that nude shadow job is GORGEOUS. Love it on her. More… appropriate, sophisticated. If I could do my makeup like that every day I would.
If this is an official engagement, can Charles write off Testino’s bill?
Yes.
These pictures don’t look professionally done whatsoever. The lighting and coloring in the one of Kate and Charlotte looks like those weird Uncle Terry shots.
Ah, thanks!
You know, on the ine hand I roll my eyes, on the other hand, their grift is just impressive.
Whoops, I was on my phone and answered in the wrong spot.
Meh…when my daughter was born her eyes were so dark they almost blended with the pupils. Now they’re a light bluish gray.
I guess Mario doesn’t know how to focus his camera for the informal shots? Honestly, these photos are very poor quality. Hope they didn’t pay him full price because what a rip-off if they did.
The group shot looks better than the one they did for Georgie. Kate doesn’t look so plastic this time around, and people seems a bit more relaxed. Grandpa Phil looks particularly great.
You know the group shot is better this time. I think Charles looks more uncomfortable in this one standing next to Carole than in George’s group photo. I also thought the other candids were bad but then celebrated photographers do a lot of creative work that to my eye looks like poor technique.
I love these photos! Made my heart melt a little. Not usually a big Kate and Will fan but beautiful pics!
I like how Kate’s family are slightly touching one another while William’s family five almost five inches of space between them. The Queen’s husband always looks out of place. Is he photobombing them?
And the Queen……has someone being nipping at the sherry? Nana look ad though she’s actually having a good time.
Oh my god, those kids are gorgeous. George just has that glint in his eyes. He is going to be fascinating to watch whether he raises yodeling goats ( how Marie Antoinette) or designs a line of Puffy Shirts, I hope he never loses that spark. I think testino did a good job.
Cheek’s face in the couch picture is so adorable!
Charlotte is just a beautiful baby and it seems as if she’ll have the Middleton coloring unless her hair and eyes lighten. And in that last photo of the four, it looks like George is yanking Daddy’s ear.
But why is Mike not standing besides Carole in the group photo? Coincidence or still problems between them?
Charlotte’s eyes likely won’t start changing for another couple of months or so. Typical newborn color is a very dark steely blue, which will read like brown in photos. So no way of knowing yet what her eye color will be.
I’m so sick of the royal family but I have to admit, those shots are adorable.
Can someone explain how this last name thing works with the royals – wasn’t William “William Wales,” and then he got knighted, and now he is “William of Cambridge?”
The first thing to point out is that the royal family doesn’t have a surname. They have a dynastic name which can be used for situations where a legal surname is required. That name is Windsor. For the direct descendants of HM, Mountbatten Windsor. Mountbatten is Philip’s surname. Long story regarding Philip’s surname, but I digress….
Further to this, the different branches (houses) of the dynasty have the option of using their dominion titles as de facto surnames. This ends up being eg William/Harry of Wales, shortened to William/Harry Wales or Beatrice/Eugenie of York, shortened to Beatrice/Eugenie York to denote that William/Harry and Beatrice/Eugenie belong to the house of Wales and York respectively of the Mountbatten Windsor dynasty.
Confusingly, sons can hold their father’s lesser titles as we see with Edward whose son is known by Edward’s lesser title of Viscount Severn rather than James of Wessex.
Please note that children hold the titles and ‘of dominion’ titles of their fathers as a courtesy and not in their own right.
On his marriage, William was granted a ducal title in his own right to become Duke of Cambridge. He ceased to be ‘of Wales’. He became ‘of Cambridge’ as are his wife and children.
Legally, he remains Mountbatten Windsor in the event of a requirement for a legal surname.
Harry is still Harry Wales and legally Mountbatten Windsor should he choose. If as expected he is given a ducal title on his marriage, he will also cease to be ‘of Wales’ whilst retaining Mountbatten Windsor.
No one knows what ducal title will be granted, though people speculate based upon the vacant ones held specifically for the royal family. The monarch retains the right to resurrect a seemingly obsolete title like she did for Edward whose title pre-dates England.
The informal shots. Ugh! Terrible. Especially the one of all four on the lawn. Looks like they flagged down a passing gardener to take a quick shot using dad’s iphone. Not a fan of Kate but she looked great on the day of the christening. Much better than here where her color is all washed out with the bright sunlight, them all squinting, the white dress and that yellowy dry looking lawn in the background. Love George though in any photo!
I like that George didn’t smile in the group photo. He couldn’t even be bothered to smize, like James Middleton.
Carole looks good. As does Charles.
I actually love these group of pics because they are so colorful and as close to normal looking families as I’ve ever seen. And for once Kate did not exposure her Diana ring for the shot but instead pose with a look of pure love at Charlotte. I think she finally found something to love more than the status of Mrs William. Not saying she doesn’t love George as much but she was still always in pose mode with George but something about her little girl makes her lose herself completely. It could be a female to female bond. It’s endearing.
I think Charlotte looks like Queen Elizabeth. Does anyone else see the resemblance?
Not at all! Ha-ha. I think Charlotte and George both have and will always have Kate and her dad’s very wide full faces.
Kate’s veneers are killing my eyes!
Mega LOL, the Duchess of Mustique.
The pic of Kate with Charlotte with the flash is just awful. I can’t believe that picture was released at all, nonetheless by a famous photographer. Totally unimpressed with these shots. If these are the best they could choose from, I’m worried about the rest of the shoot. I do like the picture of the Middletons and William’s family though. Aside from that, airbrushed or just terrible.
First time I’ve seen the baby up close, what a cutie! I love Pippa’s dress, James looks hot. Too bad Harry couldn’t make it. The candid pics aren’t really blowing my mind, the best one is of Wills and Big G. I’m sure they have plenty of other better shots, they probably just released a few to sate the plebs.