Prince William and Princess Catherine Share a Summer Rewind — and the Family Photo That Stopped Everyone Is Pure Joy

Jul 31, 2026 by apost team

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been on their summer break — and on Monday, July 28, 2026, they offered a glimpse of what that has looked like.

On their joint Instagram account, William and Catherine posted a collage-style carousel captioned: "The Summer Rewind. Thank you to everyone who has made the last few months so special!" The post ran through some of the most significant moments of what has been, by any measure, one of the busiest and most emotionally loaded summers the Wales family has experienced in years.

The carousel included: a photograph of the couple at the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace; a slow-motion video of William driving a Formula E racing car; a family photograph of William, Catherine, George, Charlotte, and Louis lying in the grass together; William at the Aston Villa Europa League final in Istanbul in May; Catherine receiving a standing ovation at Wimbledon; the family of five at the Wimbledon men's final on July 13; and a short video from Catherine's solo trip to Italy in May — her first international engagement since cancer treatment.

The format itself — collage-style, informal, mixing official engagements with candid family moments — was noted by royal watchers as part of a deliberate shift in how the couple communicates publicly. The post combined duty and delight in a single scroll — and the image of the five of them lying in the grass was the one that stopped people longest.

The summer, as the caption noted, has been special. The carousel was their way of saying thank you for bearing witness to it.

The post arrived during what is expected to be the Wales family's annual summer holiday period — typically spent partly at Anmer Hall in Norfolk and partly elsewhere. It came just days after a jam-packed stretch of public life that included Trooping the Colour, Garter Day, Royal Ascot, three Wimbledon appearances, polo at Guards Polo Club, Catherine's Christie hospital visit, and several private milestones — including George's 13th birthday on July 22 and the quiet confirmation of his September start at Eton College.

The carousel's design was described by Hello! as evidence that the Wales' social media presence is "revamped" — leaning into a warmer, more spontaneous aesthetic. The Formula E video of William was noted for its playfulness — a slow-motion clip that felt less like a press event and more like a behind-the-scenes moment from a day he clearly enjoyed.

The photograph of the family lying in the grass recalled an image from 2017 — a similar outdoor family portrait that Hello! noted in May 2026 had resurfaced in connection with the couple's 15th wedding anniversary photograph. "While years have passed and their family has grown, the new portrait is a reminder that some things stay the same," Hello!'s US Royal Correspondent Alexandra Hurtado observed.

George, Charlotte, and Louis are heading into the last weeks of summer before one of the most significant transitions in the family's recent life: George's first term at Eton in September. The carousel captured the summer before all of that. Lying in the grass with their children, by most accounts, was a very good place to spend it.

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Are you a fan of Princess Catherine and Prince William? Do you think this summer has been their most meaningful chapter yet? Let us know in the comments and pass this on to your family, friends, and other royal fans out there!