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21:03 EDT 21 Jun 2024, updated 16:56 EDT 22 Jun 2024

All over the world ­yesterday, this birthday photograph of Prince ­William and his ­children was being studied with affection, fascination and, yes, relief.

Affection because there can surely have been no informal royal picture more ­exuberant nor radiating more happiness than this caught-in-mid-air glimpse of ­William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis leaping from the sand dunes of a ­Norfolk beach.

Fascination because of what it tells us about the present and future status of the monarchy. And relief? That’s simply because the figure behind the camera ­conjuring up such a magical snapshot of her family was the ­Princess of Wales.

Observers will be searching for clues ­everywhere, from where precisely it was taken to its composition. But …