Kate Middleton has ‘taken ownership of Cambridge children’s image’, royal expert claims 

The Duchess of Cambridge has ‘taken ownership of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis‘ public image’, a royal expert has claimed.

Kate Middleton, 39, is a keen amateur photographer and has become known for releasing candid snaps of her children for special events, including their birthdays each year. 

Royal expert Camilla Tominey said the model is ‘unique’ for the Duke, 39, and Duchess of Cambridge and helps the family maintain a level of privacy for Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three. 

Speaking to The Telegraph, she said: ‘The paparazzi – there’s no market anymore because the Duchess comes out with her own family photos and they’re far more valuable to the press than images taken at a long lense.

‘That’s how The Cambridges are going to strike the balance, they’re going to give in order to receive a degree of privacy back.’

The Duchess of Cambridge, 39, has ‘taken ownership of Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis’, three, image’ by releasing photographs of her children for special occasions like birthdays, Camilla Tominey has claimed

Speaking as the Duchess released a beaming snap of her eldest son George on his eighth birthday, Camilla said: ‘George’s childhood will be very different from the royals who have gone before him.

‘His generation is the digital generation and the challenges for the Cambridges as time goes on is how to manage public interest in their son with their own privacy.’

She said she thought Prince George’s recent appearance at Wembley was because the little royal is ‘genuinely’ a football fan, but added: ‘Equally the Cambridges do want the public to see their children and have some degree of access to them.

‘You’ve got balance the private and the public of their lives and there’s an expectation of seeing George grow up because he will one day be King.’

The royal expert said the model is 'unique' for the Duke, 39, and Duchess of Cambridge and helps the family maintain a level of privacy for their children (pictured, a portrait taken by Kate for Father's Day last year)

The royal expert said the model is ‘unique’ for the Duke, 39, and Duchess of Cambridge and helps the family maintain a level of privacy for their children (pictured, a portrait taken by Kate for Father’s Day last year)

She added that parenting through the royal generations has become ‘more hands on’, revealing: ‘We’re told the Cambridges very much plan their diary around the fact someone needs to be there in the morning and for bedtime.

‘We know the Duchess does the school run herself and drives the children in – that they’re there for the key events in the school term.

‘They want to be parents first and foremost. There’s a sense for both of them that they know what their destiny is…but before then, they want to try to preserve as much family life as they can.’

‘Prince George is a child of the new digital generation – unlike when Prince William and Harry got into trouble.

Kate Middleton is a keen amateur photographer and has become known for releasing candid snaps of her children

Kate Middleton is a keen amateur photographer and has become known for releasing candid snaps of her children

‘I think Prince George will have to be quite careful to preserve his own privacy as he becomes a teenager and his parents will be acutely aware he’s vulnerable.’

However she added that Kate had ‘taken ownership’ of her children’s image in the press by releasing photographs of them each year, adding: ‘The interesting thing about the Cambridge’s model, and it’s kind of unique for the royals, is that the Duchess in particular has almost taken ownership of the children’s image.

‘We had a situation when the children were first born when the couple were worried about pap shots…Kate now saturates the market with her own imagery of the children.

‘And I think we’ll see that continue.’

The chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces previously said the Royal Family 'see photography as their very own superpower' (pictured, Princess Charlotte taken by the Duchess of Cambridge this weekend in Norfolk in May)

The chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces previously said the Royal Family ‘see photography as their very own superpower’ (pictured, Princess Charlotte taken by the Duchess of Cambridge this weekend in Norfolk in May)

The chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces previously said the Royal Family ‘see photography as their very own superpower’.

Historian Lucy Worsley told The Times that being snapped was ‘vital to the very survival’ of The Firm.

She said that if royal tour photographs aren’t great, the tour is often deemed a failure, revealing: ‘Every image carries a message and nobody understands this better than the royal family.’

Lucy explained that the royal family were among the early adopters of ‘the wonder of science’ that is photography.

She explained: ‘They were quick to realise that photography presented not a problem but an opportunity.’