A new photograph of Britain’s Prince Louis taken by his mother has been released by Kensington Palace to mark his sixth birthday.
The unedited close-up image, showing Louis grinning at the camera as he lies barefoot on a blanket on the grass, was taken in the last few days at Windsor by Kate, who announced last month that she is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer.
It was posted on Kensington Palace’s social media accounts, some six weeks after the furore surrounding the Mother’s Day portrait which the princess admitted editing.
Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! 🎂
Thank you for all the kind wishes today.
📸 The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/TxshrI3WKO— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2024
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William and Kate thanked royal fans for the birthday messages they received for their youngest child.
The post read: “Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.”
The image was followed by a camera emoji and attributed to the Princess of Wales.
The family have had a challenging start to the year, with the princess’s major abdominal surgery, cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The release of the portrait marks a change in the way William and Kate usually issue images for their children’s birthdays.
It was posted straight to social media on Louis’ actual birthday on Tuesday, rather than under embargo to the press the day before, as was the established pattern William and Kate have followed each year for all three of their children since they were born.
It is understood to be due to the unprecedented time the family is experiencing.
William and Kate are said to be cognisant of the fact that they have asked for privacy during the princess’s recovery, but wanted to share the photograph on social media as a way to thank those who have sent birthday wishes.
The same process is expected to be followed for Princess Charlotte’s birthday in May.
Kate issued a public apology last month when an image William took of the princess with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis was found to have been digitally altered.
Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C
📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
The family Mother’s Day portrait – the first official one showing Kate since her surgery – was withdrawn by picture agencies over concerns it had been manipulated after discrepancies were spotted in the photograph.
It fuelled the escalating conspiracy theories online over Kate’s health and her whereabouts.
The princess took the blame and said sorry for the confusion with a statement saying she had been experimenting with editing.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
Less than two weeks later, she issued a video message, announcing she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-op tests found cancer had been present.
William and Kate took the time to share the princess’s diagnosis with their children ahead of the Easter holidays, giving them time to process the information.
