The Gist
Prince Louis turned 8 years old on April 23, and his parents Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrated, as they often do, by sharing a new photo of their son.
In a special treat, they also included never-before-seen video footage of Louis on vacation earlier this month with his family.
The photographer behind both the photo and the video, Matt Porteous, later shared a candid outtake from the shoot on his own Instagram.
To celebrate Prince Louis turning 8 years old on April 23, Prince William and Kate Middleton released not only a new photo of their youngest child but also a video filled with never-before-seen footage of him.
The photo and the video—both shot while the Wales family of five was on vacation in Cornwall earlier this month—were taken by Matt Porteous, who has become a trusted favorite of the Prince and Princess of Wales. To mark Louis’s birthday, Porteous shared a candid outtake on his own Instagram of the young royal.
The image shows Louis smiling widely at the camera as he looks to have just gotten out of the water, wearing a wetsuit and all. “Happy 8th birthday, Louis😎❤️,” Porteous captioned the happy photo.
Prince Louis digging sand on the beach.
Credit: Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram
Porteous has photographed the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Louis for numerous occasions over the years, ranging from birthdays to Christmas card portraits to Mother’s Day images.
He was also the photographer behind the lens of the first photo the Princess of Wales released after she announced she’d been diagnosed with cancer in 2024. Porteous wrote on Instagram of the photo—which showed Kate standing in front of a tree—“I am deeply honored and grateful to have had the opportunity to capture such a special moment.”
Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Prince William on Easter Sunday 2026
Credit: Getty
“They are a very beautiful family, very caring, and very thoughtful,” Porteous told Hello! of the family of five. “I feel the pressure when I am on those shoots. The first time definitely, the second time…now it’s less pressure. But there is pressure in every job.”
Of Louis, “He’s a cheeky monkey—a typical third child,” someone who knows the family previously told People. “It’s nice that the world got to see him enjoying himself.”
Kate has previously spoken about how she’s raising George, Charlotte, and Louis to honor their unique personality traits. Speaking to Dame Kelly Holmes, a record-setting Olympian, in 2023, Holmes said (per People), “I asked her, ‘You’ve got three children—do you see different traits in them?’ And she said, ‘Oh yes!’”
“She said that’s the thing—learning how to handle the different traits and different needs and abilities even with three young children,” Holmes said.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis on May 5, 2025
Credit: Getty
William and Kate are both “very conscious of the different destinies awaiting their three children,” royal historian Robert Lacey told People.
“As royal parents, both Kate and William have focused on…working to ensure that all three of their children enjoy the peaceful childhood that eluded William and Harry,” he added.
Read the original article on InStyle