Prince William and Kate Middleton release wholesome family video to mark 10th anniversary

The couple and their children play in the garden and toast marshmallows in an idyllic picture of family life

A scene from the video posted by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to mark their 10th wedding anniversary. Courtesy The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have marked their 10th wedding anniversary by releasing a home video on their social media channels.

Portraying an idyllic picture of family life, the highly stylised clip is set against the sound of gentle guitar strings, and shows the royals with their three children, Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 3, walking across a windswept beach, running through their expansive garden and toasting marshmallows over an open fire.

Squeals of laughter, loving glances, distant waves and a cameo by the Cambridge’s pet pooch all feed into the narrative.

Filmmaker Will Warr from London, best known for his work with corporate brands, including Tesco and Uber Eats, was responsible for creating the clip.

“Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary. We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W & C,” the couple wrote in a message alongside the video.

The couple married in 2011 after an eight-year relationship that began while they were at university.

As expected, the Twittersphere was divided in its response, with some commenting on how staged it looked, while others embraced its wholesome feel. “Just when I think you’ve reached the summit of lovely and adorable, here you go again proving me wrong. Cheering you guys on. What an example and on so many levels,” wrote one commentator.

The clip certainly goes some way in countering Prince Harry’s claims, during his infamous Oprah interview, that his brother is “trapped” – which may have been the whole point.

New portraits of the couple were also released to mark the couple's 10th anniversary. Taken by photographer Chris Floyd at Kensington Palace, the images are relaxed and informal, and a far cry from the pomp-ridden royal portraits of old.

The visual messaging of the Cambridge's anniversary celebration may be slightly contrived, but it feeds into the perception that Prince William and Kate Middleton are continuing to herald in a new, softer, more accessible era for the British monarchy.