Prince George and Princess Charlotte's playful act with Louis 'speaks volumes about bond'

PrinceGeorge and Princess Charlotte's playful act with Prince Louisgives a heartwarming insight into their sibling bond, according to an expert.

To mark George's 12th birthday today, his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, released behind-the-scenes footage of him having fun with his brother and sister. The future King is shown laughing as he and Charlotte both lift a giggling Louis up in their arms during an outdoor photoshoot, with George holding his younger brother around his chest and Charlotte holding his legs.

The upbeat video montage, filmed by Kensington Palace’s in-house social media team, also shows the trio smiling as they stride along holding hands in the sunshine, with Louis in the middle of his brother and sister.

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The royal siblings also pose for a family portrait with Charlotte and Louis sitting on a rustic wooden gate as George leans next to them. And according to body language expert Judi James, the clip is 'magical' and 'very telling' about the trio's bond behind closed doors.

She told the Mirror : "The sound of sustained giggling is a strong feature of the group moments, where the sibling dynamic is shown in the structure of the poses.

"It's especially visible in the clip where Charlotte and George have picked Louis up and are not only making him giggle but giggling themselves.

"It shows what we have seen before in their videos, that the entire family group loves to play together and let off steam away from official duties. We now see both George and Charlotte looking formal and impeccably behaved at royal events, but these glimpses of play show us they are like any other children behind the scenes.

"By picking little Louis up, older siblings Charlotte and George are flexing their age-dominance in the family pecking order, showing they can still make the often-cheeky Louis helpless when they want to, as they all laugh together.

"But by carrying him between them, they also show their strong desire to protect and support their little brother, too."

Meanwhile, Judi also notes that the clip shows the influence that Prince William has had over his eldest son - especially as he looks to the future.

She added: "First, we see George standing alone, and these poses show how he is inheriting a charismatic trait that both his father and William's mother, Diana, have had.

"It's the ability to blend signals of confidence and even a sense of regal status with signals of shyness. George's self-effacing smile is a Spencer trait, and as he grows in height, the genes are even more visible, showing how much of a powerful role model his own father is."

The video comes as William and Kate also released a new solo colour photograph of their George, taken when the video was shot. George - one year away from being a teenager – is pictured smiling and relaxed as he leans on the gate in the Norfolk countryside.

The youngster is wearing a white checked shirt with rolled up sleeves and a dark green fleece gilet, and a blue and white friendship bracelet can be seen on his left wrist as he rests his folded arms on the gate.

The image, posted on Kensington Palace’s social media, was taken by photographer Josh Shinner earlier this year. It was accompanied by the message: “Happy 12th Birthday to Prince George!” followed by a cake emoji. The Royal Family also sent its congratulations to George, wishing him a "very happy birthday".