As the Prince and Princess of Wales’s youngest son Prince Louis approaches his eighth birthday, we look at how they’re helping him navigate the challenges of growing up alongside the future King
As we approach VE Day, royal onlookers will no doubt think back fondly to last year’s commemorations, when lively Prince Louis stole the show.
While his family sat watching the parade at the Queen Victoria Memorial, the young prince delighted fans by casually mimicking his older brother George’s hair flick, before playfully tugging at his father’s RAF uniform. It was far from the first time Louis has had onlookers in stitches, and hopefully it won’t be the last. Whether he’s cheekily pulling faces at his mother, perching on his grandfather’s knee or dancing on the Buckingham Palace balcony, Louis has rapidly won our hearts.
Prince Louis at the royals’ Easter service last week (Image: Getty Images)
As the youngest of Prince William ’s children and fourth in line to the throne, he may be a spare”, but there’s little likelihood he’ll be fading into the background. As William himself said: “He’s a character, but he’s a very good boy. He likes to wind his brother and sister up.” Now, as Louis approaches his eighth birthday on April 23, all eyes will be on his continued transition into public life.
His growing age will no doubt bring an increasing understanding of his own royal role, but also an awareness that his older brother George, 12, is destined for different things. “As Louis comes up to his eighth birthday, he is going to realise that his big brother is the kingpin – with the emphasis on King,” says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
“It’s difficult enough bringing up three children in a normal household, so I don’t envy the family dynamics that destiny has dealt William and Catherine with their brood.”
Nevertheless, royal experts say William and Kate are determined to ensure their thirdborn – who Kate calls Lou Bug – feels just as cherished as his older siblings. They are no doubt all too aware that the role of the royal “spare” can be a challenging one, as highlighted by Prince Harry in his memoir by the same name. “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B,” he claimed, after he and wife Meghan stepped down from royal life. “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy.”
Louis waves to the crowds(Image: PA)
“After all that’s happened with Harry, William and Catherine are bound to be hugely sensitive to how they bring up Charlotte and Louis,” Jennie explains.
“At home, I’m sure they strive to ensure that all three children are treated exactly the same. But there can’t be many people better qualified to deal with this complex situation than Catherine. She has invested so much of her time and brainpower in learning about early development and childhood that I’m sure she will find the best way to navigate what could be a tricky situation.”
Kate has spent more than a decade researching early childhood development, a key focus for her official work since she launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021. “It’s a real passion of mine,” she said. “Learning about babies’ brains, about how our adult brains develop and how our early childhood influences the adults we become.”
And she no doubt puts her learnings into practice at home, as she shields her brood from the pressures of royal life. George, Charlotte and Louis are being gradually introduced to public life when they reach appropriate milestones, and they attend the same prep school, Lambrook, near their Berkshire home.
Louis with his parents William and Kate and siblings George and Charlotte (Image: @KensingtonRoyal/Josh Shinner)
It’s also apparent from family footage that they are a close-knit bunch, keen on wholesome, outdoorsy activities. Videos show them sharing picnics, climbing trees and playing near the beach, while Louis is partial to collecting conkers too. “We keep finding conkers in cupboards, in his bed – conkers everywhere,” laughed Kate.
The young prince also learns the drums, leading William to joke: “It’s why I spend most of my time with my fingers in my ears,” and he’s “obsessed” with trampolining, often with his sister. As far as I can tell they just end up jumping up and down on the trampoline, beating each other up most of the time,” joked William.
“Behind closed doors, Kate juggles school drop-off, pick-up, homework, play dates, clubs and even tears, like anybody else,” says royal expert Katie Nicholl. “People who see her at clubs say she’s like any working parent, dressed in jeans and flat pumps, without make-up.”
Like many children, the trio enjoy baking sweet treats – who can forget the adorable footage of Louis sifting flour and Charlotte cracking eggs, as they made cupcakes for their great-grandmother Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee? Kate even revealed that one of Louis’ first words was “Mary” because Mary Berry’s cookery books were at his height on the kitchen bookshelf.
Kate with all three of her children at last year’s VE Day commemorations (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
“One of the last things we cooked at home was your pizza dough,” the princess told the legendary cook. “Louis loves beetroots, and Charlotte, obviously, loves Charlotte potatoes.”
With no live-in staff, home life is refreshingly normal for Kate, William and their family. “We sit and chat, none of the children have phones,” William revealed on Eugene Levy’s series The Reluctant Traveller.
“The most important thing in my life is family, and everything is about the future and about if you don’t start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you’re setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall. We try to make sure we give them the security and the safety that they need.”
Louis on his seventh birthday last year (Image: Josh Shinner)
George may be set to become King, but with a newly “slimmed down” monarchy on the horizon, Charlotte and Louis are also likely to play pivotal roles in The Firm.
And, as royal author Hugo Vickers says, one of Kate’s most important responsibilities will be to maintain their stable upbringing as they grow into their respective roles. After all, the trio are quite literally the future of the monarchy.
“Kate and William are concentrating on the children and doing a really good job,” says Hugo. “They do the school run, they go to matches and they have supper together. You hear so much about the royal family being dysfunctional, and I think Catherine and William will be concentrating on giving their family a really sound and happy childhood.
“It will pay off in the long run – if they get it right, they’ll be performing the nation and Commonwealth a fantastic service, because it’s going to be difficult for this generation of the royal family to work out how to make the royal family really relevant. The next generation can bring energy to the royal family, which is what you very much need.”
Hugo adds: “The children are the great card for the future. They are all so cute, and they all look great in their different ways. Princess Charlotte is a very grown-up 10-year-old, Prince George is very sporty and Prince Louis is sharply intelligent.
“That take-off of his brother, when he tossed his head, was brilliantly observed. People say he’s a scamp, but I think he’s very bright, and I think he’s going to be a huge asset.”
