Princess Charlotte Shares Sweet Connection With Prince Philip In Butterfly Photograph — The Royal Story

Aug 13, 2021 by apost team

Prince Philip continues one of the most well-respected and beloved members of the royal family even after his passing, which is an incredible testament to the late prince's extraordinary life. His passing on April 9, 2021, was a painful loss not just for the royal family but also for the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries. Tributes poured in from all over the world, and though it has been some time since he has passed, his loss is still deeply felt. 

This loss has likely been hardest on Queen Elizabeth, who lost her companion and support system of over seven decades. The queen has shown remarkable strength and grace during the difficult time and even returned to her duty as sovereign with her head held high less than a month after Philip's death. 

The royal family has maintained a strong wall between what goes on in their private life and what is revealed to the public, but since creating a strong presence on social media, royal fans have been able to see more emotional and special photos of everyone in the royal family, Philip included.

One of the most special moments caught on camera is a gorgeous photo of a young Philip who is blanketed by flittering monarch butterflies from 1988. Most recently, Kate Middleton and Prince William uploaded a photograph of Princess Charlotte on their Instagram page, where the young princess was seen carefully cupping a monarch butterfly in her hands in August 2021. It did not take long for fans to make the sweet connection between Charlotte and her great-grandfather! 

Charlotte's photo was taken by her mom Kate, who, the Observer reported, is often hailed as the "unofficial royal photographer." Kate's skills in photography have been lauded universally as they capture beautiful moments that are not always seen by the public or captured by the paparazzi. Royal fans are treated to beautiful portraits taken by Kate of the Cambridge children at least once on each one's birthday, and other opportunities, like the one with Charlotte this month, also give fans a glimpse into the royal life. 

Charlotte's photograph was accompanied by the caption,

"We wanted to share these beautiful Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies as part of Big #ButterflyCount initiative taking place across the UK."

It continued, "Save Butterflies are encouraging us all to count these incredible creatures because not only are they beautiful creatures to be around but they are also extremely important. Butterflies are vital parts of the ecosystem as both pollinators and components of the food chain."

In the photo, Charlotte gingerly cups a gorgeous butterfly in her hand and looks quite grown up. The young princess celebrated her sixth birthday on May 2, 2021, and in her portrait, which was taken by Kate, Charlotte looked like the spitting image of her father. 

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It certainly looks like Kate and William have passed down their commitment to conservation and empathy of living creatures onto their children. This desire for conservation was also an important principle for Philip. 

The Independent UK reported that Philip once said, "‘If nature doesn’t survive, neither will man." Philip had a passion for conservation throughout his life and held the position of president emeritus with WWF International until the day he died. The news outlet reports that "Prince Philip promoted conservation issues at the highest government and corporate levels, dedicating his voice, position and influence to raise awareness and funds for environmental causes across more than 50 years." 

Taking on Philip's example, his children and grandchildren have continued his work. For example, though he stepped away from his royal duties in March 2020, Prince Harry continues to serve as the president of African Parks, which is a conservation NGO that manages 19 parks across 11 countries on behalf of governments and communities across Africa. 

One of the tributes for Philip after his death came from the official handle of the royal family, which uploaded a beautiful snapshot of a young Philip from 1988. In the photo, Philip is seen looking up at the large number of monarch butterflies as they flitter around him. 

It is a profound photograph, and royal fans immediately made the connection between Philip and Charlotte's most recent picture. Though Philip is gone, it is certain that his great-grandchildren will continue to connect with him through such beautiful endeavors. 

The charity Butterflies Conservation, which has been supported by the Cambridge family recently, had also shared the picture of Philip with the butterflies after his death, writing: "We are sorry to learn of the death of His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh. May he rest in peace."

What do you think of this sweet connection between Charlotte and her late great-grandfather through these photos? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to pass this onto your friends. It might just make their day!