Five hidden meanings in the Princess of Wales’s intimate family video
The Princess of Wales’s intensely personal video message is packed with symbolism and carefully chosen imagery.
The three-minute video, shot by Will Warr, the couple’s favoured film-maker, in Norfolk last month, focuses heavily on the importance of nature and family.
It depicts the Prince and Princess, tactile and intimate; their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, at the centre of their world.
The positive tone, the laughter and playful scenes, demonstrate that the Princess is looking to the future, hopeful that her darkest days are behind her.
Nature as a source of comfort and sign of renewal
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The footage is framed around the theme of nature.
Since her cancer diagnosis in January, the Princess has found sanctuary in the natural world and is keen to reflect its importance.
She has previously spoken of “the power of nature” in maintaining both physical and mental health and the imagery reflects this.
The footage shows the Princess leaning against a tree, eyes closed as she looks to the skies, touching the bark of a tree as she gazes upwards.
In other scenes, she is walking through a field of wheat, caressing the sheaves with her hand, beaming as she holds a yellow butterfly before it flutters into the distance.
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Nature was a key theme in June, when the Princess delivered an update on her health, revealing that she had “good days and bad days” but was “not out of the woods yet”.
Her statement was accompanied by the image of her leaning on a weeping willow on the Windsor estate, again, taking strength and comfort in nature.
The joy and vitality conveyed in the latest footage is a far cry from the video message released by the Princess in March, when, seated on a bench alone looking pale and thin, she revealed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Prince William as her rock
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The film shows the Prince and Princess interacting in a way never seen before.
The couple, usually intensely guarded in public, offer a rare glimpse into their private world as they lean on each other, kiss and clasp hands.
In various scenes, the Princess leans her head on her husband’s shoulder, they lie together on their backs, arms wrapped around each other laughing and the Prince affectionately plants a kiss on his wife’s cheek.
In the video the Princess recorded in March, when she revealed she was being treated for cancer, she said that having the Prince by her side was “a great source of comfort and reassurance”.
She mentions him twice in her latest statement as she shows how much she values his strength and support.
Their decision to let the world in on such personal moments might also reflect the “new perspective” they say they have each gained from their cancer journey, perhaps now recognising that others relate to such private experiences and vulnerability.
The importance of family
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The Prince and Princess have always made clear that family comes first.
Family life is at the heart of this video as the couple spend quality time with their three children as well as the Princess’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
There are delightful shots of the family, arms wrapped around each other and laughing at the camera.
The children wield cricket bats, climb trees and run through the waves in the sea. They are shown playing cards outside and enjoying a picnic.
The images reflect the Princess’s recognition of the “simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved”.
It is significant that the Middletons appear in one scene, playing a classic card game with the family around a dining room table.
The Princess is extremely close to her parents and they have rallied round in recent months to provide invaluable support. Their inclusion in the video is a means of public recognition, a thank you for being there.
As an unprecedented glimpse into an idyllic family life, the footage is similar to that released by the couple in April 2021 to mark their 10th wedding anniversary.
That film, also shot by Mr Warr, showed the family in Norfolk, frolicking in sand dunes, chasing each other through trees and collapsing on the grass in giggles.
Late Queen’s grainy family videos
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Much of the footage is shot in an old-fashioned grainy style, which harks back to royal videos of old.
The late Queen and Prince Philip often captured family moments on camera or cine film and the style chosen by Mr Warr is reminiscent of that footage from Royal family holidays at Balmoral or on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Driving a Land Rover
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The brief footage of the Princess driving a Land Rover through the Sandringham estate demonstrates that she is well enough to be back at the wheel and in control of her life.
It is also reminiscent of the late Queen and Prince Philip, who were often seen driving themselves around the royal estates.
The late Queen relished such independence, particularly in her later years.
A close-up of the Princess’s left hand on the gear stick shows she is not wearing her famous sapphire engagement ring.
