Kate Middleton shows she is ready to forgive public's cancer 'speculation' in new snap, expert claims

Kate Middleton has shown she's eager to "let bygones be bygones" after releasing a sweet new snap of her youngest child, Prince Louis to mark his birthday, a royal expert claims.

The unedited close up image shows the six-year-old prince grinning at the camera as he lies barefoot on a blanket on the grass.

The adorable snap was taken in the last few days by his mum, Kate, who publicly announced last month that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

The new snap of Louis comes just weeks after the uproar surrounding a Mother's Day portrait of the Princess of Wales and her three kids which Kate later admitted to editing, the Mirror reports.

The 42-year-old issued a public apology last month when an image Prince William took of his wife with their children George, Charlotte and Louis was found to have been digitally altered.

Going forward, there had been fears that the couple may no longer choose to mark their kid's birthdays with a picture after the editing backlash.

However, with the release of the new snap, royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop believes it shows that Kate wants to "forgive us for our scurrilous speculation."

She told the Mirror: "It is ironic that Louis was born on St George’s Day, not his older brother, George. But perhaps the youngest of Wales children who is best suited to England’s national celebration – embodying the eccentric, happy-go-lucky spirit that plays to the more attractive side of Englishness.

"Louis’s mother, Kate, knows just how much her youngest has won hearts and minds with his theatrical antics up on the balcony – hands over ears, arms outstretched.

"The photo drop of her birthday boy on the Wales’s Instagram account at lunchtime is a salve for royal aficionados."

She continued: "Kensington Palace could easily have let this birthday go – Louis is only six, he’s not in line to inherit the throne, his mother is having cancer treatment, his father is trying to multi-task and the general public’s propensity towards conspiracy theories has hardly covered us in glory.

"But by choosing to share a photograph taken by Kate, the Princess of Wales is messaging that she’s keen to let bygones be bygones.

"She will forgive us and our scurrilous speculation if we quietly let her resume the role of royal photographer-in-chief."

Tessa also added that the cheerful snap shows that William and Kate are back at doing what they do best, which is "posing as Britain's first family".

She explained: "Needless to say, few can grumble over a close-up of a six-year-old in a checked shirt.

"Instead, the cheerful image and positive note it has struck is a reminder that the Prince and Princess of Wales are keen to get back to what they are good at – posing as Britain’s first family – and we are keen to have them.

"The release of the photo, slightly later than normal in the day, is a sign that Kate, like the King, is managing cancer treatment alongside other duties and tasks.

"In the wake of a major operation and health scare, hers will be a graded recovery, with Louis’s picture one small step towards her return to royal normality. Surely as good a reason as any to flutter the St George’s flag?"

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