Why the queen did not hold her great-grandson?

Question

Queen Elizabeth II did not hold her great-grandson Prince George of Cambridge, when she posed for a photograph with Princes Charles and William, though Queen Victoria did hold her great-grandson (the future King Edward VIII) when posing for a photograph.

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/9108c8384c3b34b9d2e97ca883b282b9/tumblr_mv6ypixH4R1qema7zo1_500.jpg

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII), Prince George (later King George V) and Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII):

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/sites/royalcollection.org.uk/files/col/2105901_297401_ORI_2.jpg

Answer 1

The Queen just did not hold George for the posed picture--no other reason than that. The Queen has always enjoyed her children, grandchildren, and great-grand children, but she is said to prefer children that she can actually play with, the most. Some people are crazy about babies, while the queen is more interested with talking and playing with toddlers and older children.

Answer 2

Have you ever seen how a person shakes after being deprived of a G & T for a few hours? That was just a passing question and is of course totally unrelated to your very interesting question as to why Queen Elizabeth didn't hold Prince George. I think she just wanted to "break with tradition" if one may call the event that has only ever happened once before, a tradition.

Answer 3

I wondered about that, but decided the lad is quite a bruiser, strong and probably difficult too, so he was best held by his dad. Perhaps they tried it, but it didn't work!! I hate the compostion of that photo in any case - the photographer should have been shot. Leaving aside the subjects, the background is terrible.



Pity, given that this photo of all of them on that day, will be the one in most history books.

Answer 4

I think they just wanted the picture to be a bit different,in victoria's time it was rare for a man to hold a baby,it was seen as woman's work!

Answer 5

Perhaps the present Queen was anxious to avoid comparisons

- it is not the most flattering picture of Queen Victoria.

Answer 6

Queen Victoria was known as possessive towards her children, and that extended to her grandchildren was well. In other words, the babies is accustomed to be photographed in the arms of their parents and Elizabeth II does not hold her grandchildren in the pics I saw - The babies are always in the arms of their mother and the Queen smiles proudly beside the mother. However, Old Vicky believed she had preeminence in that area also..

Answer 7

Presumably because she's less interested in creating matched pictures than you are.

Answer 8

Good question .