Prince George and Princess Charlotte play with snow for the first time

Kensington Palace has released photos of Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and their children George and Charlotte on a ski holiday in the French Alps.

The six images published on Monday show William, Kate, two-year-old George and 10-month-old Charlotte on the snowy slopes last week.

The palace says it was “their first holiday as a family of four and the first time either of the children had played in the snow.”

Two photos show the royal couple having a playful snowball fight.

The release of the pictures follows a media policy established when William and his brother Prince Harry were children: privacy in exchange for agreed-upon photo opportunities at birthdays and during school holidays.

That allows the princes to have — by royal standards — a relatively normal upbringing.