Prince Louis turns six: William and Kate celebrate occasion with photograph of young royal shared on social media

A new photograph of Prince Louis has been released by the Prince and Princess of Wales to celebrate his sixth birthday.

The image, taken by his mother Kate, shows the young royal beaming while lying on a green lawn and picnic blanket. In a message on the @KensingtonRoyal X account, William and Kate said: “Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.”

According to Kensington palace, the photograph of the prince was taken within the “last few days”. Following the Princess of Wales’ public announcement that she was being treated for cancer, there was speculation over whether she would choose to prioritise her and her family’s privacy at this difficult time. However, the palace said that the royal couple chose to release the image to thank supporters for their birthday wishes.

The release of the image was, however, unusual with the royal couple opting to post straight to social media on the day of Prince Louis’ birthday (April 23), as opposed to releasing the traditional birthday image under embargo to the press the day before. This choice is said to be down to the unprecedented moment the family find themselves in with Kate’s illness, with it expected to be the same during Princess Charlotte’s birthday in May.