King Charles Celebrates Prince William’s Birthday with New Portrait: Did You Miss It?

NEED TO KNOW

• King Charles marked Prince William’s birthday by sharing a new portrait of the Prince of Wales

• Prince William turned 43 on June 21 and the King’s office released a new photo of the heir to the throne

• Prince William’s birthday fell after a busy week for the royal family, with buzz around why Princess Kate didn’t attend Royal Ascot

King Charles wished Prince William a happy birthday with a new portrait that flew under royal radars.

The Prince of Wales turned 43 on June 21, and while the picture Kate Middleton issued of her husband with puppies got all the attention, another new picture of William was released, too.

The photo of Prince William shared across King Charles and Queen Camilla’s shared social media channels showed the heir to the throne seated on a rock wall in a green field, with his hands clasped as he looked out into the distance.

William sported a blue button-down shirt with dark pants in the undated snap, rocking his beard, which a former royal aide says is here to stay.

“Happy Birthday to The Prince of Wales!” the King and Queen’s team wrote below the new picture of William, plus emojis of a balloon and confetti horn.

In an unusual move, the shot wasn’t credited to a certain photographer. The royal family is known to tap a handful of photographers to capture special occasions like birthdays, though Princess Kate, a hobby photographer, often hops behind the camera!

On Prince William’s birthday, the Princess of Wales also shared a new photo of her husband to commemorate the day. Princess Kate, 43, took the picture earlier this month, snapping a relaxed snap of her husband with the family’s new litter of dogs.

“Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!” the Princess of Wales wrote below the photo. She used the initial of her first name, Catherine, as shorthand for the signature, signaling that the sentiment came directly from her.

Meanwhile, “G,” “C” and “L” are the same first-initial abbreviations for William and Kate’s three kids: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

Princess Kate’s photo also showed William sitting outside in more casual clothes. He gently cradled a puppy while two other pups cuddled up to his side and another dog that looked like the family’s black cocker spaniel, Orla, walked behind him.

In May, The Sun reported that Orla welcomed a set of puppies. Soon after, some wondered if the Prince and Princess of Wales got another dog after a brown spaniel was spotted following William in a video Kate shared for Mother’s Day in the U.K., in a montage dedicated to Mother Nature.

“Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary,” Kate began the caption of the footage, in which she and William both briefly appeared. The reference nodded to the solace Princess Kate said nature brought her while she was undergoing treatment for cancer, news she announced in March 2024.

The Princess of Wales said in September that she completed chemotherapy and shared in January that she is in remission. Meanwhile, King Charles’ treatment for a cancer diagnosis also announced in 2024 continues as a “managed condition.”

“His treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year,” palace sources said shortly before Christmas.

Prince William, Princess Kate, their kids and other members of the royal family came out in full force to attend Trooping the Colour, King Charles’ official birthday parade as monarch, in London on June 14. Two days later, their schedule was busy with another ceremonial event: the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle.

Later that week, Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped out together again to attend day two of Royal Ascot, a social staple on their summer calendar.

Princess Kate didn’t join her family for the day at the races, and PEOPLE understands that an inaccurate carriage list sparked speculation that the princess skipped the event at the last minute.

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The Princess of Wales was said to be disappointed not to attend Ascot but has to strike the right balance as she resumes public-facing duties following her cancer treatment.

“She’s being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life,” Queen Elizabeth’s former spokeswoman Ailsa Anderson tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story.

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