The Prince and Princess of Wales Release Two Photos of Prince Louis for His Fifth Birthday

(Image credit: Prince and Princess of Wales)

published 23 April 2023

Happy, happy birthday to our favorite scene stealer, Prince Louis! The youngest of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children turns five today, and as is custom, we’ve got some adorable new photos of Louis.

The two photos were taken by photographer Millie Pilkington earlier this month, per People—a change from Louis’ mother, Kate, being behind the camera. Instead, she moves in front of the camera this year, pushing her youngest in a wheelbarrow on top of grass and leaves. Louis is clad in a blue sweater over a checkered shirt and shorts; his mother wears a striped black and white top. The second photo is a closer up shot of Louis’ adorable face.

“Someone's turning 5 tomorrow… 🎂 🥳 A very happy birthday to Prince Louis,” Louis’ parents captioned their Instagram tribute to him yesterday.

Us Weekly reports that William and Kate threw Louis an adventure-themed fifth birthday party, and that the party had cakes and sandwiches as well as balloon decorations and an entertainer.

“Kate has organized a fun adventure-themed birthday party with all his school friends to celebrate the milestone, and she and William are also doing something family-orientated,” a source says. “They always make birthdays special for their children and go the extra mile.”

For his birthday, Louis is said to have received a pickleball set and an outdoor obstacle course. He is of course close to his dad and brother, but of his mom, “Kate and Louis have an unbreakable bond, and she has such a soft spot for him,” the source says. That extends to his sister, too: The source says that Charlotte “always looks out” for her little brother and even helps him with his homework. “She has really taken him under her wing,” the source says.

Louis has had quite a fourth year—he stole the show at last June’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, he started school alongside older siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte in September, and he made his royal debut at a number of events—Christmas and Easter, just to name two. He will kick off a year of new memories with a historic event: He is expected to be in attendance alongside the rest of his immediate family at his grandfather King Charles’ Coronation on May 6.

“Louis has changed so much over the last year and has really grown into his own,” the source says. “He’s such a character—a charismatic soul who lights up with his fun-loving personality and a real little chatterbox. He can be a little shy around new people, but it rarely takes long for him to warm up. You can put him in almost any social situation, and he’ll adapt.”

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.