Prince Louis has inherited his “cheeky personality” from his late great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, former royal butler Grant Harrold has claimed.
Louis, who celebrates his eighth birthday today, has been long known for his spirited nature, often seen poking faces and making his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, laugh at official royal events.
Harrold, who worked for the monarch, said that this trait was passed down from his great-grandmother, who was born just two-days before Louis’ birth date on April 21, 1926.
“The late Queen had that cheeky side, and you can see it in Louis,” he told Reach Plc.
“Royal fans love Louis because of his cheekiness, and I don’t think that will change.”
While the eight-year-old appears more composed at recent events, Harrold believes that playful side hasn’t gone anywhere.
“Of course everyone loved clips of him sticking his tongue out and mucking about on the Buckingham Palace balcony when he was younger, and we don’t see that as much any more – but there is definitely still some cheekiness there.”
Louis and his great grandmother are believed to have shared a warm, affectionate bond, with one memorable moment showing them chatting animatedly on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 3, 2022.
Sadly, the Queen died just months later, on September 8, aged 96.
Princess Catherine, 44, later revealed her youngest son’s touching response at the time: “At least granny is with great grandpa now” in reference to the late Prince Phillip.
To mark Louis’ birthday, Kensington Palace released a heartwarming new portrait and video of the young royal, filmed during a recent family holiday in Cornwall.
The image, taken by photographer Matt Porteous, shows Louis beaming at the camera with his arms crossed on the beach.
In the accompanying video, he is seen playing cricket, running along the sand and jumping into the ocean.
“Happy birthday, Louis! 8 today!” the caption of the picture reads, while the video caption said: “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis. 8 is great!”
Louis is currently fourth in line to the throne, sitting behind his older siblings Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, following changes to succession laws.
While he is unlikely to ever become King, Harrold said the young royal still understands the expectations placed on him.
“Louis is the King’s grandson, and will one day be the son of the Monarch,” Harrold said.
“It’s very unlikely that he will ever be King. So there isn’t as much pressure on him as there is on his older brother, George, who will be very aware of his future role by now.
“However Louis and Charlotte still face pressure, as they will know the importance of acting and behaving like royals.”
Despite this, Prince William, 43, is reportedly determined to carve out a different path for his two younger children.
“I am told that the heir to the throne, Prince William, is preoccupied with the built-in risk of primogeniture’s cruelty,” royal biographer Tina Brown wrote in a March installment of her Substack.
“He is determined that his second- and third-born children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are well-prepared and well-financed for independent lives and will not fall into the same cycle of thwarted freedom.”