Official royal portraits through the generations

The world was treated to the first official photographs of Prince George on Monday. The snaps of the newest addition to the British royal family were surprisingly informal and relaxed. Taken at the Middleton home, the cameraman was none other than Kate's dad Michael Middleton.

William and Kate are seen smiling and relaxed under the shade of a tree in the 18-acre grounds of the Bucklebury Manor with their son in Kate's arms. In another shot, the Cambridges are sitting on the grass with their baby son George, their cocker spaniel Lupo, and even the Middletons' pet dog Tilly made it into the first snaps of the new family.

These relaxed shots – which were released via Twitter – could be the beginning of a new era for the royal
family, as William and Kate show themselves to be modern parents who are not afraid to put a contemporary spin on royal traditions.

Prince William's late mother Princess Diana may have paved the way for the couple. For the shots celebrating William's six-month birthday, the young Prince was pictured lying on his tummy, beaming happily, with a teddy bear strategically placed beside him.
 

More photos of William pictured as a baby show his mum smiling delightedly as she leans over a sofa, while William sits laughing in Prince Charles's lap with a Koala bear toy in his hands.

Stepping back to 1948 when the Queen posed with her baby son Prince Charles, the setting is visibly more regal. Queen Elizabeth is pictured wearing a hat and coat and baby Charles, asleep in her arms, is dressed in an elaborate, embellished gown.
 

When the Queen was a baby herself, she in turn was pictured in the arms of her mother, Elizabeth, Duchess of York, who wore three strings of pearls to adorn her elegant attire. The future Queen is in a no doubt hand-embroidered gown, with her mother looking tenderly on.