Prince Louis’ birthday portrait draws comparisons to young Prince William

657     0
Prince Louis’ birthday portrait draws comparisons to young Prince William
Prince Louis’ birthday portrait draws comparisons to young Prince William

A new portrait released to mark Prince Louis’ eighth birthday has delighted royal fans, who say the young prince bears a striking resemblance to his father, the Prince of Wales, at the same age.

The previously unseen photograph of Prince Louis was taken by photographer Matt Porteous during a family Easter break in Cornwall. It was shared on Kensington Palace’s social media accounts with the message: “Happy birthday, Louis! Eight today!”

In the image, Prince Louis is seen smiling with his arms crossed while wearing a £42 blue quarter-zip jumper from Boden.

Royal observers were quick to note similarities between the young prince and his father, Prince William, pointing to a photograph taken in 1990 during a family holiday in Mallorca, Spain. That image shows a young William, then eight years old, aboard the royal yacht Fortuna alongside his family, including Princess Diana, King Charles III, and Prince Harry.

A picture, taken when Britain’s future King was just eight years old, shows William holding on to the handlebar of the yacht Fortuna while on holiday with his parents, Princess Diana and King Charles , alongside Prince Harry , then five. Sharing a similarly gleeful grin to Louis, Wills is captured onboard the royal vessel while King Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, stands behind him in a protective manner. Like young Louis, William’s brown hair is seen falling just above his eyes, while the prince is also seen squinting slightly due to the bright summer sun. In both of the photos, both William and Louis are dressed in smart-casual outfits, though the future King opted for more of a summer look with a white T-shirt, while Louis’ navy jumper was indicative of the slightly cooler British spring weather. qhxidiqxkiqtdinv

In both photographs, the two princes are seen with similar expressions, hairstyles, and relaxed, smart-casual clothing styles, prompting comparisons among royal fans online. Many described Prince Louis as a “mini-me” of his father.

Prince Louis, born on 23 April 2018 at St Mary’s Hospital in London, has become a popular figure among the public, often drawing attention for his playful behaviour during official royal appearances.

While the youngest Wales child has won over royal fans with his cheeky antics during official engagements, Louis was on his best behaviour as he walked alongside his parents and waved bashfully at fans gathered outside the church in Windsor. ’Young HRH Prince Louis is learning very well,’ one supporter praised his behaviour at the time. Prince Louis Arthur Charles was born at 11.01am on April 23, 2018, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, and was first photographed with William and Kate outside the Lindo Wing. The new photo by Mr Porteus is a delightful addition to the collection of Prince Louis’s official portraits released over the years. Last year, royal fans also drew similarities between Britain’s future King and his son when young Louis’ birthday portrait was released.

His latest birthday image continues a tradition of annual portraits, many of which have been taken by the Princess of Wales. Previous photographs have also sparked comparisons between father and son, highlighting their shared expressions and mannerisms during childhood.

The photograph, taken in Norfolk by Josh Shinner, saw Louis dressed in a white and blue checked shirt, with a green jumper layered over the top and paired with jeans. The sweet snap, which was shared on Kate and William’s Kensington Royal social media accounts, was captioned: ’Wishing Prince Louis a very Happy 7th Birthday!’ And it drew comparisons to an earlier photograph of Louis’ father taken during a polo match at Windsor in 1990. The picture was taken days before Prince William’s eighth birthday and shows him clapping while watching the match at Guards Polo Club on June 16, 1990. In the photos, both William and Louis are dressed in smart-casual outfits; the future King wore a blue and white striped shirt, khaki trousers, and black belt for his polo match outing at the age of seven.

Kate, an avid photographer, turned her lens on her youngest as she snapped Louis playing in their garden at home in Norfolk, as fans remarked he was beginning to look a lot like his older brother, Prince George. The following year, the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released a new set of pictures of Louis, also taken by Kate at Anmer Hall, as he tried his hand at painting. Dressed in a blue checked shirt, Louis looked positively ecstatic to be creating rainbow-coloured handprints as his parents tried to keep him busy after the world went into lockdown. By the time he turned three, Louis was big enough to be zipping around on his bicycle as he officially started nursery school. Proud mother Kate snapped the portrait, which showed Louis flashing his trademark cheeky smile, before he left for his first day at the Willcocks Nursery School. Beaming at the camera, Louis looked ready for his big day, sporting a smart blue and white striped shirt, navy blue sweater and sky blue shorts.

Kensington Palace did not issue additional commentary beyond the birthday message accompanying the release.

In keeping with what was becoming a tradition, Kate was behind the camera for Louis’ fourth birthday pictures that were taken on the beach in Norfolk during a family outing. Instead of releasing Louis’ birthday portrait in the morning, Kensington Palace held off until the afternoon on April 23, 2024, to share a new photo for his sixth birthday. But the happy photo was clearly worth the wait when it was finally posted, as Louis was pictured grinning from ear to ear while posing in the grounds of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. Royal fans even noted a telling gap in his lower teeth, revealing that the tooth fairy has been. Louis was dressed in a smart-casual shirt with blue and brown checkering - sweetly echoing his father, Prince William’s wardrobe.

Editorial Team

Emma Davis

Deputy Editor

Print page

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus