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There’s a Sweet Story Behind the Swing Used in Prince William’s Father’s Day Photos

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Prince William enjoyed double celebrations over the weekend with Father’s Day landing on his birthday, June 21, this year. Kate Middleton marked the occasions by sharing a few super-cute photos of the royal dad playing around with their three children, George, 6, Charlotte, 5, and Louis, 2.  

One of the snaps featured the family’s rope swing, which also happens to have an extra-sweet story behind it. Let us refresh your memory with another look at the adorable photo: 

The backyard swing was a particularly meaningful choice for a Father’s Day portrait. According to PEOPLE, it was gifted to William and Kate by his own dad, Prince Charles, as a wedding present back in 2011. It’s hard to tell in this pic, but the swing is also hand-engraved with the couple’s names.  

If you think the swing looks familiar, it’s because this isn’t the first time the family has put it on display. In 2016, they shared a precious pic of Prince George proudly standing on it to celebrate his third birthday. This throwback snap also provides a better glimpse at the engraving: 

For such a simple object, this swing clearly holds a lot of significance for William, Kate, and their little ones! It’s located in the backyard of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, England, where they have been spending most of their time in lockdown mode over the last few months. They’ve probably gotten a lot more use out of it, at least when they aren’t too busy with homeschooling

We wouldn’t be surprised if Kate has also taken this time sequestered together to capture even more candid pics of the growing family. Photography is famously one of her favorite hobbies and she’s obviously got a knack for getting just the right shot. Royal photographer James Whatling has commended the duchess on her talent for picking the perfect backgrounds, like this swing. (Click here to see which cameras Kate likes to use for these photos.) 

Here’s hoping we get more delightful snapshots of the family on our social media feeds soon! 

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