Here's one grandpa took! First official royal baby portrait taken by Kate's dad (but sorry Mr Middleton, Snowdon you ain't)
- Michael Middleton took the official portrait at their family home in Berkshire and even included dogs Lupo and Tilly
- Pictures show a smiling Duke and Duchess of Cambridge holding a sleeping Prince George in the sunny garden
- Critics say the photographs are charming but technically poor as he shot into the light
- Sources said the couple chose not to have a professional photographer so not to 'burst the happy little family bubble'
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A future king sleeps peacefully in the arms of his doting mother in a family snapshot... taken by his grandfather.
Previous royal heirs, Prince William included, have had their first official portraits taken by society legends such as Sir Cecil Beaton and Lord Snowdon.
But Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge owes his to a humble ‘point and shoot’ wielded by Kate’s father, Michael Middleton.
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Sun and heir: Mr Middleton opted to shoot straight into the light for his snapshot of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and baby George, and managed to cut off the nose of retriever Tilly, left. The Cambridge's cocker spaniel Lupo, right, emerged unscathed
That's better: Mr Middleton's second photo produces much more appealing results, with the couple and their sleeping prince emerging from the blinding sunlight
And the setting? The Middletons’ sun-dappled back garden in Berkshire, with family pets Lupo and Tilly even getting in on the act.
The boy who will be king: Prince George in his mother's arms
The finished result may have charm but is technically poor and lacks the gravitas of previous official photographs, according to experts.
Critics will also no doubt seize on Mr Middleton’s decision to break the cardinal rule of photography – shooting into the light.
But according to celebrity photographer Brian Aris, the snapshots are ‘refreshing’.
He told the Mail: ‘It’s an unusual decision but perhaps reflects the young approach that Prince William wants to bring to bear.
‘The decision to take them in such an informal manner means they, perhaps, lack the level of gravitas that would normally be expected.
'But on the whole I would say this is quite refreshing.’
He added: ‘Taking a professional portrait of a young baby is quite an intrusive procedure, given the lighting and strobes you would need.
‘So perhaps they have had the right idea after all. It’s just a different approach and the images are rather charming.’
Kensington Palace said the photographs were taken with an inexpensive camera in early August while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were staying with internet millionaires Carole and Michael Middleton at their £4.8million Berkshire mansion.
Both photos show the couple posing with George, who is swaddled in the same shawl by Nottinghamshire firm G H Hurt and Son Ltd that he left hospital in.
Was THIS the maestro's first effort? Mr Middleton, left, took this photo of wife Carole and daughter Kate in 1982 (right)
Similar: Mr Middleton's pictures of the Royals on the grass in his Berkshire garden echo those of the young Prince William taken in the grounds of Government House in Auckland, New Zealand
Kate is wearing a £46 fuchsia-coloured knot front dress by maternity wear firm Seraphine, but appears to have shed a great deal of her baby weight.
William is casually dressed in a blue checked shirt, tucked into jeans, and his favourite African-style belt.
Both look a little baggy-eyed due to lack of sleep – the prince more than his wife – but are clearly overjoyed at being parents to a beautiful, healthy baby boy.
Given the illustrious history of royal family portraits, the Cambridges' decision to use one of proud grandpa Mike's happy family snaps is a startling break with tradition.
According to well-placed sources, the decision was very much William’s and Kate’s.
It is understood the couple were keen ‘not to burst the happy little family bubble’ they have existed in at the Middleton family home since George’s birth.
First shots: Mr Middleton's images are the first pictures of the young Royals since Prince George was introduced to the world outside St Mary's Hospital last month
‘They are a young couple who have just had their first baby and are enjoying time as a family together but, of course, there has been huge demand from the public to see some official photographs of Prince George,’ said an aide.
‘It seemed perfectly natural to them to pose for a few nice family snapshots which they could then issue. It [the Middleton family home] is just where they feel happy and most comfortable.’
The Mail also understands the couple were keen to take the wind out of the sails of the huge international market for unofficial paparazzi pictures of George by releasing their own as soon as possible.
The way they were - classy but a bit dull
The first official portrait of Prince Charles is a study in royal portraiture.
Taken by legendary English photographer, Sir Cecil Beaton, the image of the Queen gazing at her son was shot at Buckingham Palace in December 1948 when he was just a month old.
Fast-forward more than 30 years, and a startled-looking Prince William is introduced to the world by the Queen’s brother-in-law Lord Snowdon, another celebrated photographer.
Traditional: Cecil Beaton's 1948 photo of Prince Charles (left) and the formal portrait of Prince William and his parents (right) by Lord Snowdon in 1982
Although more relaxed, the photo is still a formal portrait of a future king, proudly showing off the next generation of the family line.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s decision to use one of Mike Middleton’s happy family snaps is thus a substantial break with tradition.
According to sources, the decision was very much William and Kate’s. ‘It’s where they feel happy and most comfortable,’ said an aide.
They went on to explain that the pictures were a mark of thanks for the privacy they had been given after the birth.
‘They asked the media to give them some time as a family and the British media have done that,’ they said.
PARTY PIECES TIPS MICHAEL MIDDLETON CAN'T HAVE READ...
Kate Middleton’s father ignored photography advice on his own website when he took the first snaps of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George.
The Party Pieces website tells amateur photographers to ensure ‘natural light is behind you’ when taking pictures at family occasions.
But in his images of the couple with the newborn prince, Mr Middleton pictured them with the sun behind them, casting their faces into shadow.
Other advice on the site includes dressing children so their outfits don’t clash and using ‘toilet humour’ to make them laugh.
As the photographer, Michael Middleton is automatically entitled to copyright of the image under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act.
But last night it emerged that he has already handed over ownership of the pictures.
This means he won’t be entitled to any money when they are printed – and Kate and William will be able to control their use.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2397595/First-official-royal-baby-portrait-Prince-George-Duke-Duchess-Cambridge-taken-Kates-dad.html#ixzz2cUypbMjG
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