Prince Louis is now seven years old and his new birthday photo says it all.
Sitting on a log, with a smile full of space where there used to be teeth, the youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales appears relaxed and content, dressed in a green sweater, plaid shirt and jeans.
Prince Louis’ Birthday Photo
This time the image was not his mother’s doing. Since her children were born, Kate Middleton has been the official photographer at home.
The Princess of Wales would take the images that were then shared with the press, in a sort of family ritual. But something changed.
This year’s photo bears the signature of Josh Shinner, a professional photographer that the Welsh have hired for the occasion.
This is not a minor detail. After the uproar caused by the edited photo on Mother’s Day 2023, when Kate confessed to having retouched an image taken by Prince William, the couple decided to take a step back.
That time, the image gave much to talk about and aroused all kinds of theories. Kate apologized, but from that moment something broke.
Since then, there are no more press exclusives or previews. Family photos are now published directly on social media, at the same time for everyone.
The fact that this new photo was not taken by Kate may seem the beginning of a new stage for the Prince and Princess of Wales and could be repeated for the 10th birthday of Princess Charlotte on May 2.
Another detail that caught the attention of the new portrait of Prince Louis, was that for the first time, he wears long pants in a birthday photo, breaking with the British tradition of dressing children in shorts and long socks.
📽️🎞️ Seven today! pic.twitter.com/n3lNIXesCR
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2025
Kensington Palace also surprised its followers on social media by sharing a short video recorded during the photo shoot, where Louis is seen exploring the garden and jumping with great enthusiasm.