Protective Prince William 'breaks from tradition' in heartwarming photo with his children

A heartwarming new picture of Prince William taken by Princess Kate shows he's breaking from royal tradition, an expert has claimed.

The candid snap, marking Father's Day, was taken by the Princess of Wales and shows the heir to the throne and their three children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, on a beach.

The new picture, which was published to Kensington Palace's Instagram account on Sunday, was taken by Kate in Norfolk last month as she continues cancer treatment.

The Prince of Wales and the young royals are seen looking out towards the sea in casual summer clothing, with the caption reading: "We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day. G, C & L."

It marks the first time the young royals have shared a message on the Palace's official social channels.

Body language guru Judi James has said the never-before-seen image revealed what an involved father Prince William is.

"This is a poignant-looking pose of shared affection with William and his three children looking out reflectively onto the horizon on a secluded seaside beach," she told The Sun.

"William is very much the protector here, stretching both arms out to encircle his children in a ‘winged’ gesture, as though hiding them under his wings," she added.

"Charlotte is very much shown as Daddy’s girl here, leaning in towards her father and placing her arm around his waist.

"George and Louis show body language signals of a desire to announce they see themselves as rather grown-up here though.

"They stand with their arms around each other and with George’s arm around Louis illustrating the dynamic we can see in their public appearances, where George is clearly protective of his younger brother, acting as a similar role model to Louis as William was to him."

James says that the picture reveals both an unusual insight into the Cambidge's family life, and Prince William seemingly moving away from royal tradition in favour of a more informal relationship with his children.

"The casual and tactile theme of this pose shows a detachment from previous generations of royal dads" she told the outlet.

"While Charles and even Philip were always shown playing with their boys wearing formal suits and with a hands-off approach or one hand even pushed into a pocket, William’s ‘winged’ embrace shows a desire to be casual, informal and very much hands-on as a dad."

The picture was posted just hours after William shared a Father's Day tribute to King Charles accompanying a picture of the Prince as a child with the monarch some 40 years ago.