The Prince and Princess of Wales have given the public a glimpse into their family summer, sharing a 'Summer Rewind' post on Instagram that collects photographs of the family together during holidays past and present.

The post, shared on a Tuesday, features a photograph of William, Kate and their three children lying together in the grass while on holiday in Cornwall — the image sourced to the couple's own Instagram account, according to Hello! Magazine. The couple, both 44, share the photos ahead of a private summer break.

Their children are Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. The Waleses have built a habit of marking family milestones on social media: a Father's Day 2024 photograph posted to their Instagram page showed William with his arms around all three children on a Cornish beach. A separate image shared for the couple's 13th wedding anniversary featured the family lying on grass together, with Kate cuddling her two sons, taken after a Cornwall holiday.

The 'Summer Rewind' collection draws on a range of destinations the family has visited over the years. Anner Hall, a 10-bedroom property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, was gifted to the Waleses as a wedding present in 2011 and Kate has previously said she feels "most at home" there. The Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast, have been a favourite of Prince William's since he visited as a child with King Charles and Princess Diana; William and Kate were seen riding bicycles as a family on the isle of Tresco in 2020. The family have also visited the private Caribbean island of Mustique on several occasions, and enjoyed a skiing holiday in the Alps the year prior to the article's publication, having previously skied there in 2016.

The post drew coverage across multiple outlets. Page Six reported on the "intimate summer family photos" on July 28 Page Six, while People magazine published a round-up of six "rare photos" from the couple's summer breaks on July 30 People. ABC News also covered the story, noting Prince Louis's appearance and referencing the family's presence at the Wimbledon final ABC News.

People separately reported that William interrupted the summer break to share a personal message, and that the couple had a busy start to the summer People.

What makes the 'Summer Rewind' post catch the eye is its source: the photographs come from the Waleses' own Instagram account rather than a paparazzi shot or a magazine exclusive. The family chooses what to release, and when. For a couple who guard their children's privacy closely, even a handful of candid images — lying in the grass, arms around each other on a beach — counts as a relatively open door.

The images cited in the Hello! article carry credits to both Instagram, for the Cornwall family photographs, and Getty Images, for the Isles of Scilly and Alps skiing pictures. The Waleses' social media accounts have become the primary channel through which the household releases personal images, a shift from the earlier pattern of negotiated exclusives with selected publications.