Prince William's heartbreaking hidden tribute to late Queen in emotional royal post

Royal fans were delighted by the Wales family's 2023 Father's Day photo - and Prince William also found a way to honour his late grandmother, the Queen, in the snapshot

Prince William found a touching way to pay tribute to his grandmother the Queen as he celebrated an important event with his family.

In June 2023, a photo of William with his three children was released in celebration of Father's Day. In the snapshot, the future King is pictured beaming from ear-to-ear, with his youngest Prince Louis affectionately wrapping his arms around his dad's shoulders. Prince George and Princess Charlotte, meanwhile, were both pictured on either side of their father, gazing up adoringly at him.

For the photoshoot, Prince William and his children wore coordinating shades of blue. William looked dapper in a crisp powder blue shirt and a pair of blue chinos, whilst Prince George opted for a pair of relaxed jeans and a check shirt. Princess Charlotte wore a pretty blossom button-front dress by Rachel Riley, and Prince Louis looked adorable in a striped, blue shirt and a colourful blue Fair Isle knitted jumper.

The snapshot was taken in the gardens of Frogmore House in Windsor - and the exact spot chosen was especially poignant. William and his children are sitting inside the timber 'Swiss Seat', a Swiss cottage made out of silver birches in 1833 and renovated for the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The bench itself was given to the monarch in honour of her 90th birthday and bears an inscription in her honour.

While Princess Kate often takes the photos to mark major family events, it was trusted royal photographer Millie Pilkington who was behind the image. She has taken a number of snapshots for the Waleses - including the photo of Prince Louis in a wheelbarrow for his fifth birthday, and the picture of Charlotte cuddling pet dog Orla in honour of her eighth birthday. She also had the honour of taking William and Kate's wedding portraits.

Writing about the Father's Day photo on her website, Millie shared: "I'm so excited to share with you another portrait I have taken for the Prince and Princess of Wales : A father's day portrait of Prince William with his children Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince William, taken on the Windsor Estate. As a portrait photographer with a passion for photographing children, I'm not sure the honour gets much better than this!

"I love how this portrait captures the love the children have for their father Prince William. With Prince Louis hugging his father's neck in true joy, whilst Princess Charlotte and Prince George, with their hands on Prince William's knees, and laughing adoringly up at him, you can see the adoration they have for their father, and the fun they have with him."

Millie continued: "I chose this location for this portrait, not just because of the lovely backdrop and light it offered, but also because of the inscription on the bench: Presented to HM The Queen on the occasion of her 90th birthday 21st April 2016. A mere 7 months on from her death on 8th September 2023, I thought it would be a wonderful way of adding another dimension to this portrait – making it all the more meaningful for the Prince of Wales and his family."