Prince Louis appeared to demonstrate he has been learning from older brother Prince George after a three-word comment during the Trooping the Colour flypast was captured by a lip reader. The eight-year-old joined the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Saturday as King Charles's official birthday celebrations drew to a close with a stunning RAF display.
Louis, who once more charmed royal enthusiasts with his lively reactions to the aircraft above, was spotted directing his parents' attention to one specific plane. According to lip reader Jeremy Freeman, the young prince told the Princess of Wales: "It's the Globemaster."
Princess Kate then seemed to prompt him to elaborate, responding: "Ahem, go on," before Prince William validated his son's recognition of the aircraft, stating: "Yes it is, it's designed to..."
The moment attracted the interest of royal observers because it mirrored a comparable incident involving Prince George during last year's VE Day commemorations. As the Wales family observed an RAF flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony in 2025, George was seen assisting his younger brother in identifying one of the aircraft. Lip reader Jeremy Freeman disclosed that after Princess Kate instructed her children, "Watch this one", Louis responded: "Ooh, that's cool."
George then indicated the aircraft and informed his brother: "That's a Globemaster." Louis replied: "That was great," as the family carried on watching the display. The recent balcony exchange suggests George's passion for aircraft may be influencing his younger brother, with Louis now confidently spotting the same military transport plane for his parents.
Louis was among the standout figures at this year's Trooping the Colour ceremony, captivating spectators with his characteristic energy. Earlier in the day he was seen peeking through a partially opened window to catch sight of the proceedings and subsequently leaned dramatically sideways to secure a clearer view of the aircraft soaring over London.
The prince was seen observing events from the first-floor window of the Duke of Wellington's former office alongside siblings Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 11, and other royals including the Duchess of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. Louis also seemed astounded by sections of the aerial display, opening his mouth in wonder as the planes thundered above Buckingham Palace.
The flypast featured 10 waves of RAF aircraft, including Typhoon jets, Chinook helicopters, C-17 Globemasters and the Red Arrows, who concluded the spectacle with their famous trails of red, white and blue smoke.
Trooping the Colour continues to be one of the most significant occasions in the royal calendar, uniting members of the Royal Family, military personnel and thousands of onlookers to mark the monarch's official birthday. The tradition is a historic ceremony in which colours — regimental flags once used as rallying points on the battlefield — were "trooped", or paraded before soldiers so they could be easily identified, eventually taking on enormous symbolic significance as the very heart and soul of a regiment.
