Bundled up in bright skiwear, Prince William and Kate Middleton threw snowballs at each other and delighted as their pink-cheeked children, Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 10 months, romped in the snow during a recent family trip to the French Alps.

The adorable photos released by the palace were proof that the lovely young family were having the time of their lives.

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The royal family on March 3.

It’s hard to imagine previous generations of the British royals allowing the public to see such personal moments — but warm and genuine William, 33, and Kate, 34, are unlike any royals who have come before them. “They’re a beautiful couple with a young family to whom the world can relate,” Paul Burrell, former butler to William’s mother, Princess Diana, tells Closer.

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With their down-to-earth values and devotion to their kids, Will and Kate will also be the first king and queen of Britain who can relate to ordinary people, too. With the blessing and tutelage of Queen Elizabeth II, they are changing the rules of royalty in England and adopting more contemporary ideas on their way to becoming Britain’s first monarchs for the modern times.

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Kate and Queen Elizabeth II in July 2015.

At first, the couple’s insistence on leading as regular a life as possible seemed unorthodox to
Queen Elizabeth, 89, whose sacrifice and devotion to duty are legendary. Instead of being a full-time royal, William kept his job as a helicopter pilot. He and Kate also were firm about making their home in the countryside, where they send George to a Montessori nursery school.

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“A few feathers were ruffled,” one royals insider tells Closer of that decision. “Kate had to use all her charm to convince Her Majesty that all would be well.”

To read the full story on Kate, pick up the new issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now!