Rare Footage Released of the Prince and Princess of Wales Enjoying a Candid Moment with the Middleton Family (original) (raw)

Carole and Michael Middleton were in full grandparent mode

rare-footage-prince-william-princess-catherine-instagram-video: A photograph of Prince William and Princess Catherin on the royal balcony posing with their three children. Prince William is wearing a red military uniform, Princess Catherine is wearing a white dress with a black and white bow and a matching off-kilter hat. The two boys, Prince George and Prince Louis wearing matching navy blue suits and blue ties. Princess Charlotte wears a navy blue and white dress with a white bow in the front.

Chris Jackson / Staff/Getty Images

It is no secret that the British royal family is notoriously private. While we often see the Winsdors attending public engagements, working with charities and gracing red carpets, very rarely do we get a glimpse into their personal lives (often times only seeing the parts of them that have been painstakingly approved of by Kensington Palace). But earlier today, the Palace released rare footage of Prince William and Princess Catherine sharing a very down-to-earth family moment with their extended family, the Middletons.

The released video shows the couple with their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, and their dog exploring the scenic Norfolk forests and shoreline as the princess shares a major health update. Over the footage, the royal narrates: "As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment. The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown."

Throughout the video, the five family members are seen laughing, smiling and embracing. This personal foray into the family's life has already racked up a million likes within three hours of posting.

The video also documents the family's time spent with Carole and Michael Middleton, footage royal fans are not necessarily used to seeing. In a heartwarming scene, we see the royal couple and their three children sit around a table playing a card game together with the Middletons with everyone participating gleefully and Prince Louis sitting in his father's lap. It's unclear if this family moment occurred at the Middleton house or elsewhere, but in the background we can see plates hanging on the wall and lots of greenery and flowers in the room. The atmosphere is one of a warm and loving family home.

The vintage-looking clips from the video remind me of another royal attempt at letting the public into their very private lives. Back in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip allowed for cameras to roll at Kensington Palace, giving the British Commonwealth a peek at what happens behind closed doors in a documentary aptly called "Royal Family." This endeavor to humanize the royal family was not as successful as they had hoped, however, and received criticism for being a bit too polished and restrained.

This latest behind-the-scenes glimpse, however, is undoubtedly a heartwarming look into the royal family's lives. Thousands of fans have commented on the video already to show their support for the royal family. We appreciate the princess sharing her health update—and a peak into her beautiful family life.

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Assistant Editor