'We love you, Papa': Princess Kate shoots new Prince William pic for Father's Day

The Prince and Princess of Wales marked Father's Day with a casual new photo of William and the kids taken by Kate.

The beach shot shows the 41-year-old heir to the British throne clad in a navy blue hoodie, olive green shorts and a ball cap. With his back to the camera, he hugs their three young children - Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, all clad in blue T-shirts and shorts - as they gaze out to the water.

"We love you, Papa," the photo is simply captioned. "Happy Father's Day." The post included two red hearts and is signed, "G, C & L."

The photograph was released a day after Kate, 42, made her first public appearance since revealing she was in treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.

Kate made news in March after a family photo released for British Mother's Day was found to be "digitally manipulated," according to major photo agencies including The Associated Press, AFP and Reuters.

The royal couple also paid tribute to Will's dad, King Charles, in another Instagram post with a throwback, pre-Prince Harry photo of Will kicking a ball around with his father. "Happy Father's Day, Pa," the caption says and is signed "W."

The king's Instagram account shared a black-and-white video montage of Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, with their dad, the late Prince Philip, who died in 2021. "Wishing all Dads, and those who may be missing their parents today, a relaxing Father’s Day," the caption says.

Princess Kate turns heads: She wore a Jenny Packham dress amid return at Trooping the Colour

On Saturday, Kate joined King Charles, William, their three children and other members of the extended royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to celebrate Trooping the Colour, a military parade to commemorate the monarch's official birthday observation.

For her first public appearance in five months, the princess chose a white Jenny Packham dress with an oversized black-and-white ribbon bow, tucking her hair under a wide-brimmed Philip Treacy hat, according to Vogue. She wore pearl earrings with a matching brooch, white heels and carried a black clutch.

In a personal message on Friday, Kate said she's making good progress in her treatment, although she's "not out of the woods" yet.

"As anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting," Kate wrote in the statement. "But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well."

Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, and Kate Holton, Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Princess Kate takes new Prince William photo for Father's Day