A brand new picture has been released today showing a grinning Prince Louis, who turns six today – and there was a change in the way his parents the Prince and Princess of Wales released the snap
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Kate’s new photo of Louis released to celebrate prince’s sixth birthday
Royal fans had been eagerly awaiting the release of a new picture of Prince Louis, who marks his sixth birthday today.
The cute snap, taken by his mum the Princess of Wales, shows the birthday boy grinning at the camera as he lies barefoot on a blanket on the grass. It was taken in the last few days at Windsor by Kate and posted for fans to enjoy on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s official social media accounts.
The adorable unedited snap comes some six weeks after the furore surrounding the Mother’s Day portrait, which the princess admitted editing. The Wales family have had a challenging start to the year, with the princess’s major abdominal surgery, cancer diagnosis and now chemotherapy treatment.
However, the release of the portrait marks a big change in the way William and Kate usually issue images for their children’s birthdays. It was posted straight to social media on Louis’ actual birthday on Tuesday, rather than under embargo to the press the day before, as was the established pattern William and Kate have followed each year for all three of their children since they were born.
And it seems there is a reason why this was the case, it is understood to be due to the unprecedented time the family is experiencing. William and Kate are said to be aware of the fact that they have asked for privacy during the princess’s recovery but wanted to share the photograph on social media as a way to thank those who have sent birthday wishes. The same process is expected to be followed for Princess Charlotte’s birthday next week, when she turns nine on May 2.
Kate issued a public apology last month when an image William took of the princess with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis was found to have been digitally altered. The family Mother’s Day portrait – the first official one showing Kate since her surgery – was withdrawn by picture agencies over concerns it had been manipulated after discrepancies were spotted in the photograph. It fuelled the escalating conspiracy theories online over Kate’s health and her whereabouts.
The princess took the blame and said sorry for the confusion with a statement saying she had been experimenting with editing. Less than two weeks later, she issued an emotional video message to the nation, announcing she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-op tests found cancer had been present. William and Kate took the time to sensitively share the princess’s diagnosis with their children ahead of the Easter holidays, giving them time to process the information.
Today, the couple thanked royal fans for the birthday messages they received for their youngest child. The post on social media read: “Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.”The image was followed by a camera emoji and attributed to the Princess of Wales. It was also reposted on the main Royal Family social media accounts.
William and Kate’s youngest child is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St George’s Day, April 23, 2018, at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz. He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, in front of friends and family.
