Kate Middleton's absence from Wales family's iconic image sparks reactions

Prince William has marked this year's Father's Day by releasing a never-before-seen photo of himself with with his three children, but Kate Middleton's absence from the iconic photo has triggered debate on social media. 

In the new candid portrait taken by Millie Pilkington, the Prince of Wales is seen smiling at the camera with his arms around Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who look up happily at their beloved father.

However, there was one notable absence from the photograph with Kate Middleton, William's wife, not being present.

Princess of Wales, who usually appears in almost every official portrait of the family, left her fans in tense with her absence, with one asking: "Is there no place for Kate in Father's Day image?"

Another reacted as saying: "Oh! Kate seemingly teasing William as she did not even attend the recent film screening with her husband."  

The third one wrote: stop speculating, "its a tribute from Kate to William. She wants to show the world how loving and caring William is."

Interestingly, as further images from that day made clear, Princess Kate was present at the event but simply made the choice not to be part of the Father's Day specific image.

The heartwarming photo was shared to Prince and Princess of Kate's official Instagram account with a caption: "Happy Father’s Day." A red heard emoji was also added in the end.

In the snap, Kate and William's youngest child Prince Louis, who charms royal fans with his amazing gestures at every royal engagement, stands behind the future king with his arms wrapped around him, giving a big smile.

In the snap, the Wales family also appears honouring Queen Elizabeth as they sit on a bench that was a gift for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday in 2016.

The new photograph was taken on the Windsor Estate earlier this year by Millie Pilkington, according to Kensington Palace. The image was taken on the same day as the photo shoot that produced Prince Louis' 5th birthday portraits released in April. 

However, Kate Middleton remained absent from the Father's Day portrait, but royal watchers did get a glimpse of her ensemble in a portrait shared for Louis' birthday. 

The new portrait was released on Saturday just hours after Prince William, Princess Kate and their three children marked Trooping the Colour, the celebration and parade marking King Charles' birthday, as a family in London.