Prince Louis turns eight today and his proud parents the Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a brand new photo of their youngest son to mark his big day
10:03, 23 Apr 2026Updated 14:19, 23 Apr 2026
Kate and William share video of Prince Louis on his 8th birthday
A never-before-seen photo of Prince Louis and a video of him playing on the beach have been released by the Prince and Princess of Wales today to celebrate his eighth birthday.
The birthday portrait and heartwarming footage shows the young prince during a family holiday in Cornwall earlier this month and was taken by photographer Matt Porteous, who has taken several personal photos for the Wales family. The photo was shared first on Prince William and Kate’s social channels with the message: “Happy birthday, Louis! 8 today!”
It shows a grinning Louis leaning with his arms folded while on a boat, with the sea as the backdrop. William and Kate’s youngest, who is known for his cheeky nature, wears a blue textured quarter-zip style jumper.
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A new photo of Prince Louis to mark his eighth birthday
William and Kate also released a heartwarming video of Louis for his birthday(Image: princeandprincessofwales/Instagram )
Sea-faring runs in the family. Louis’s great-grandfather Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, was known for his Naval service, and became Admiral of the Fleet. Louis’s grandfather the King also served in the Navy as the Prince of Wales, commanding HMS Bronington.
Hours later, the Prince and Princess of Wales thanked those for sending birthday wishes to their youngest son by posting a short clip of Louis, with the message: “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis. 8 is great!” Also taken by Mr Porteous, it showed Louis, in a wet suit, jumping into the water from a height, digging in the sand with a spade, playing cricket, and running along the beach.
It is not known which beach the royals visited, but William inherited the vast Duchy of Cornwall landed estate and the title the Duke of Cornwall when he became heir to the throne in 2022.
Louis’ birthday comes a day after he and his older siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, returned to Lambrook School following their Easter holidays. The trio were last seen in public with their parents on Easter Sunday when they joined the King, Queen and other members of the family for the traditional church service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
The clip of Louis was taken on a family holiday in Cornwall (Image: princeandprincessofwales/Instagram )
Louis plays on the sand(Image: princeandprincessofwales/Instagram )
As the youngest of William and Kate’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.”
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.
Louis in his wetsuit before jumping off a boat(Image: princeandprincessofwales/Instagram )
“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.”
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.
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.
Louis was born on this day in 2018(Image: Getty Images)
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.
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 then Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at the Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace in front of friends and family.
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