The baby of the Wales family celebrates his 5th birthday tomorrow! To celebrate Louis' special day, Kensington Palace released wonderful new photos taken by Millie Pilkington on the Windsor estate earlier this week. Take a look at this sweet shot of Kate, in a stripe sweater, pushing Louis in a wheelbarrow :)
A smiling Louis is captured outside wearing a blue patterned sweater and shirt.
Millie Pilkington took William and Kate's private wedding photographs in 2011 (she previously undertook a photoshoot for Party Pieces after being noticed by Carole Middleton). I do wonder if she may have been visiting Windsor to take photos for their wedding anniversary on the 29th. We haven't seen any new official portraits of the couple released since they became Prince and Princess of Wales. Speaking about the experience Millie told The Gold Edition:
'My first jobs were predominantly photographing weddings and children’s portraits – all through word of mouth. Then, I offered to do front covers for a local family magazine called Families South West in exchange for free advertisements – and it was from one of these front covers that Carole Middleton spotted my work and booked me for a shoot for her company, Party Pieces.
I’m not sure you can ask for a bigger break than being asked to capture the private wedding photographs for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in April 2011. This was definitely a turning point in my career.
If I had to describe it in three words, that day was surreal, magical and terrifying! And the most incredible honour – I still struggle to believe I was there. I started at The Goring hotel at 8am and, with the exception of Westminster Abbey, which I didn’t cover photographically, I was taking photographs throughout the day and night, finishing at the after party back at The Goring in the early hours. It was a long day that went by in flash – but the memories will last forever'.
In the final term of his first year at Lambrook, Prince Louis has very much become a scene-stealer. From his showstopping antics at the Queen's Jubilee to his adorable appearances at family events, taking a glance at tonight's images, he's very much growing into a big boy (and still resembles his mum a great deal).
Speaking of Kate, per tradition she will be staying up late tonight to make Louis' birthday cake. During the 2019 Mary Berry Christmas special the Waleses participated in, Kate said: "I love making the cake. It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up till midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it."
It follows the release, yesterday, of a very poignant photo to mark what would been Her late Majesty's 97th birthday. The image depicts the monarch in the final summer of her life surrounded by her two youngest grandchildren and some of her great-grandchildren in the place she most treasured -- Balmoral. Kate took the photo and shared it via Kensington Palace's social media pages (back row, left to right: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex; middle row, left to right: Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis; and front row, left to right: Mia Tindall holding Lucas Tindall, and Savannah Phillips).
With the Coronation just a fortnight away, I thought it might be fun to take a look at photos of Louis with the late Queen and the new King. Below, Baby Louis is held by the Queen at Balmoral in the summer of 2018. The new image above is very reminiscent of this.
This one of Louis and his "Gan-Gan" from last year's Trooping the Colour remains a firm favourite of mine.
Though this one garnered a little more attention on the day :)
Many will fondly remember this 70th birthday portrait taken of the then Prince Charles surrounded by his family with Louis in Kate's arms. It's been reported the King chose this one himself to be included in the official Coronation keepsake booklet.
An adorable photo of Charles, Louis and Kate was also shared.
In an interview with the Telegraph, the then Duchess of Cornwall revealed: "We had a picture the other day with Louis pulling on his hair, and he’s not one of those people who says, ‘take your hand away’. He loves it. He’s exceptionally good with very small children and babies."
For Louis' second birthday this darling image was released with the following caption: "A very Happy Birthday to Prince Louis, who turns two today. The young Prince enjoys a hug from his Grandfather, The Prince of Wales."
Wishing Louis the loveliest of birthdays!
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In other news, a two-day trip to Wales has been announced for the Prince and Princess of Wales for Thursday and Friday, 27 and 28 April. The itinerary is largely under wraps for the moment, however I anticipate the next couple of weeks will be very busy. More from ITV:
"The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit a Welsh rugby club and meet mountain rescue climbers next week.
William and Kate will attend Dowlais Rugby Club along with members of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team on Thursday.
The club is a feeder club to Cardiff Blues and a popular spot for the climbers to socialise and relax when they are off duty."
Finally, Kensington Palace invited ITV's Alison Hammond to join the Prince and Princess in Birmingham last week. In her exclusive report for This Morning, Alison revealed the Princess mentioned her Coronation outfit has "a hint of blue". Hammond said the Princess made a "beeline" for her at the event and they enjoyed a conversation about cocktails and dinner.
If that "hint of blue" involves sparkling sapphires complimenting a long white gown, I for one will not be complaining :)
Wonderful pictures! He's growing up--not a toddler anymore! "A hint of blue"---hmmmm. Diana's sapphire choker, please!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, please!
DeleteThe young Prince is just too cute. Both pictures are very nice. The second one I don't think he looks as much as one of the Middleton family. I don't know am I seeing more Spencer or Windsor. I'm delighted that he will be attending the coronation. I'm sure he will try very very hard to be on his best behaviour.😂. After a good talking to from his Sister before they leave for the Abbey. I'm not surprised they invited Alison along. She is a lovely kind woman and very funny, very popular this side of the world. Please Charlotte stop, I didn't even think of sapphires when Alison said hint of blue on her show. I was looking at the Dubai sapphire's and the Russian sapphire tiara last night. Living in hope. 😂. Having thought about it, I don't think we'll see her wearing Diana's sapphires or even the lovers knot tiara. I'm going to hold out for sapphire's.🙏. I feel like I'm 8 again and it's two weeks to Christmas., Waiting to see if any of the older jewels get a day out. It would be nice if The King provided a new selection for her to choose from. It must be so much pressure trying to get everything right, knowing that countless millions will be watching. Charlotte I'm also looking forward to your coverage in the lead up to the big day. S.🙂.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how we perceive things differently. When Prince Louis was an infant, his looks puzzled me. He didn't look like a Windsor or a Spencer or a Middleton. Genes can do funny, unexpected things, so I concluded that he might be a throwback to some ancestor we didn't know about. I resemble my mother and my brother looks like our father, but our sister looks nothing like either one of us. However, the first time I saw a photograph of one of my great-grandmothers taken just after her marriage in the late 19th century, I gasped. My sister looks very much like her.
ReplyDeleteToday, I think Prince Louis looks like a Middleton, but I see that Anon 22:20 doesn't. On the other hand, I thought Prince George looked much like a Middleton early on, but in recent years, I'm seeing much more Windsor in his face, which is more or less what happened with his father, though somewhat later in life. Charlotte looks like William, to the extent that he once mistook a close-up photo of himself in childhood for a picture of her. Children are so changeable, though, that it's impossible to guess what -- and who -- the Wales offspring might look like in adulthood. The only thing that can be said with certainty right now is that Prince Louis is one cute little boy.
I like him with the bangs, though. The carefully-combed hair with the bangs swept off the forehead is just too formal for casual occasions and pictures.
You are right, children change as they grow. Just going on the last birthday picture, I'm not seeing the Middleton gene's as strongly. I like his hair and natural highlights. S.🙂.
DeleteOne cute little boy sums it up!
DeleteHe is just one cute little boy.
DeleteHappy birthday to HRH Prince Louis!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Prince Louis! I see 100% Middleton in him and he is growing up so fast! He is so cute and he always has a smile that looks like he’s ready to get into mischief.
ReplyDeleteYou can tell that Kate takes plenty of photos of her children in his comfort with the camera. As someone who dabbles in photography, children are sometimes the most difficult to photograph as they move around and get tired of sitting or looking at the camera. The casualness of their photos shows their familiarity with cameras and it provides wonderful pictures into their lives. The photos of Queen Elizabeth and the grands & great grandchildren are an example of this.
I love that she bakes for each of the kids! It is something they will remember forever.
The young Prince is just too cute. he had the side of her mother side grandpa Middleton happy birthday what time past
ReplyDeleteWow is he getting big! Happy birthday Prince Louis🎉 I finally, as I hadn’t really before, see a whole lot of William in his face, maybe it’s the shape? Something about his posture and eye shape just jumped out at me as more Windsor than Middleton. Great photos!! And love the ones of him with Charles! Looking forward to the coronation, can’t wait to see the fashions from my favorite royal family. Thank you Charlotte!!
ReplyDeletePrince Louis is simply delightful, a wonderful little boy.
ReplyDeleteHe’s certainly growing up quickly lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that they are the Prince and Princess of Wales and obviously have committed to visit there regularly but there are large swathes of the country they don’t seem to visit .
Visits seem to be London , Windsor, the Midlands , Liverpool , Manchester and Birmingham area . They don’t seem to visit - Norfolk , Suffolk , Yorkshire , Devon , Wiltshire , Somerset , Kent or Sussex . I’m disappointed they don’t visit other areas as they all would benefit from a visit with them.
GT
They came to Leeds last year.
DeleteYes but there’s still large swathes of the UK they never visit . Todays visit is to Windsor again
DeleteI like this birthday photo. I love the photos of a younger Louis with his grandfather. We didn't get such intimate images of Charles with G or C which makes me wonder if the Will/Charles relationship has changed and improved over the last 5 years.
ReplyDeleteIt must be so weird to be Milli Pilkington taking the private pictures of the royal wedding, knowing that this is the biggest assignment of your career and you will never be able to share any of the photos. And she did justice to the trust they put in her, not one of the private photos or any behind the scene photos has leaked.
ReplyDeleteThese are darling new photos! He’s so photogenic, and it must be a thrill for the photographer to see them again after all these years with a family! I agree that the children change who they resemble while they grow up.
ReplyDeleteAny picture we get with the cousins are a treat. It would be lovely to see all of the great grandchildren with the Queen, but logistically (or by a few of the parents’ desire for privacy of the children) that might not be possible. I’m really excited for the coronation. Thanks Charlotte! Sue from IL
Unrelated to the photos, but I have thought since they moved to Windsor and enrolled the kids in a nearby school how much easier daily logistics are on everyone. I have 3 kids and had them at far away and close schools and together and apart, and having a nearby school is so much easier if you can manage and having them all in the same spot, even if only for a few years really simplifies everything. I am so glad they were able to manage this. Ali
ReplyDeletePrince Louis is so cute. I still see his grandpa Middleton in his looks. The cousins photo with Her Majesty melted my heart. My cousins were my first playmates and still are an important part of my life. As for the hint of blue … I do hope it’s sapphires.
ReplyDeletewhat a brilliant photo - and how Milli Pilkington is so well trusted. It's a credit to her that we have no pics of any of W&C's wedding.
ReplyDeleteA hint of blue - could it be something spectacular like Princess Margaret's Persian Turquoise Tiara, necklace and earrings - it's also sometimes known as the “Triumph of Love” tiara - and how very apt - for Catherine and to honour KC and C - Something that has royal heritage, but not been seen since this century I think - and something fresh and different without having links back to a Diana piece.
Happy bday to the little prince the photos with King Charles are charming
ReplyDeleteHe's so cute. And always looks mischievous, as we've seen in action! He's going to be a handsome one, for sure.
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious little boy. Great picture of Mom and Son.
ReplyDelete