Prince William, Kate Middleton take Prince George and Princess Charlotte to ski holiday; Duke of Cambridge criticised for ‘being lazy’ [PHOTOS]

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have pulled off a secret holiday in the French Alps recently. Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly took their kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, to the posh “playground of the oligarchs” resort within the popular Les Trois Vallées ski last week.

The official Twitter account of the Kensington Palace, Kate and William’s London residence, posted images of the family of four enjoying their holiday. According to the palace, the ski break was their first holiday as a complete family and “the first time either of the children have played in the snow.”

There were no further details given.

The Daily Mail, however, reports that Kate and William took their 2-year-old son and 10-month old daughter to the Courchevel ski chalet inside the popular Les Trois Vallées in the French Alps. They took a private plane borrowed from wealthy British men. A senior royal source also told the paper that the family booked and paid for their holiday themselves.

“They looked happy and were just walking and talking. A nanny was looking after Charlotte,” insider Louise Taylor told MailOnline. “They were just like a family on holiday but with loads of help. There were definitely loads of them.”

She added that George, who is the third in line to the throne, might have taken ski lesson because the group carried “really baby skis.”

An employee at the Le Pilatus restaurant said the family dined there either Saturday or Sunday and had a small table. “No one bothered them,” the staff said.

The photos that were released to the public, which see a smiling Charlotte and George, were captured by Press Association royal photographer John Stillwell. Two of the shots feature the loved-up William and Kate playing in the snow, while one sees William posing with his youngest child, Charlotte, who is now sporting two small front teeth.

‘Lazy’ William

Wherever they are, the young royal family still can’t escape criticism, though. William is receiving flak for spending time with his wife and kids on a holiday. Apparently, he has not put in as many hours at work as he used to.

As a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, William reportedly flies a total of 20 hours a week, 80 hours a month. However, his colleagues allegedly complained about the royal not logging in as many flying hours as they do. The prince’s shift is only two-thirds of their own.

And with him “unashamedly” spending time on a holiday with his family, the criticisms grew louder, with his detractors calling him “lazy” and “workshy.” The UK tabloid The Sun also slammed William for conducting only 122 official engagements last year. In comparison, his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, attended 341.

“William is far from lazy. He is a caring and careful young man who has seen at firsthand what can happen if you sell your soul,” the Telegraph defends the prince, enumerating his responsibilities as a royal and as a fulltime rescue pilot.