Prince Harry Gave Nephew Prince Louis an Extremely Rare Five-Figure Gift for His Christening

Uncle Harry for the gifting win.

Princess Kate holding Prince Louis on his christening day next to a photo of Prince Harry wearing a blue suit and waving
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Louis turned seven on Wednesday, April 23, with Prince William and Princess Kate sharing an adorable new portrait and an Instagram Reel showing off his lively personality. But on July 9, 2018, the little prince was less than three months old and celebrating a different milestone—his christening day. For the occasion, Prince Harry gave his nephew a special gift, and he definitely didn't just slip a check into a card like most uncles out there.

It turns out the Duke of Sussex, who had married Meghan Markle just a month after Louis was born, gave his second nephew a rare gift to add to his nursery bookshelves. According to the Express, Princess Diana enjoyed collecting classic books, and Prince Harry chose to carry this on to Louis, giving him "a first-edition copy of A.A Milne's Winnie the Pooh from 1926."

Although the outlet reported that the book was thought to cost Harry around £8,000 ($10,600) in 2018, there are several first editions on the secondhand market today selling for upwards of $15,000.

Prince Louis Christening

Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Kate and Prince Louis are seen arriving at Louis's 2018 christening, followed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Louis Christening

Prince Louis is seen on his christening day.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to the Express, Prince Harry almost gave Louis an even more expensive book. He considered "a first-edition of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass" instead of Winnie the Pooh, and the book was priced significantly higher at a jaw-dropping £24,000.

"One of Harry's happiest childhood memories was being read a bedtime story by his mother," a source said at the time. "She loved all the old classics and Harry had the brilliant idea of starting a little library of first editions for Louis, Charlotte and George to enjoy as they get older."

Although the Prince and Princess of Wales didn't share what Louis was up to for his seventh birthday, his new photos marked a milestone for the young prince. While he's followed the British upper-class tradition of wearing shorts with a sweater or button-up shirt in his previous portraits, Prince Louis wore grown-up jeans in his birthday picture this year.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.