A new portrait of Prince Louis released to celebrate his 8th birthday has drawn comparisons to his father, the Prince of Wales, at the same age. The previously unseen photograph was taken by Matt Porteous, the trusted photographer of Prince William and the Princess of Wales, during the family's Easter getaway to Cornwall earlier this month.
Shared on Kensington Palace's social media accounts with the message: 'Happy birthday, Louis! Eight today!', the sweet snap shows the young prince dressed in a £42 blue half-zip jumper from Boden, beaming gleefully with his arms crossed. However, eagle-eyed royal fans noticed a striking similarity to a photograph of his father, now 43, taken during a family holiday to Mallorca, Spain, in 1990.
In that picture, taken when Britain's future King was just eight years old, William holds onto the handlebar of the yacht Fortuna while on holiday with his parents, Princess Diana and King Charles, alongside Prince Harry, then five. William shares a similarly gleeful grin, with his brown hair falling just above his eyes and squinting slightly due to the bright summer sun. Both William and Louis are dressed in smart-casual outfits, though William opted for a more summery look with a white t-shirt, while Louis's blue jumper suits the cooler spring weather.
Captured in August 1990, William was onboard the royal vessel during a trip that saw members of the British royal family join the Spanish and Greek royal families at the Spanish royal summer residence, Marivent Palace, near Palma. It marked the last of four annual trips the British royals made to Spain as guests of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
When the image of young Louis was shared online, hundreds of well-wishers left heartfelt messages, describing him as a 'true precious legend'. One fan commented, 'He looks so mature,' while another said Louis was his mother Kate's 'mini me' in the 'lovely' photo. Ahead of his birthday, fans remarked the playful prince looked 'so grown up' when he joined his family for Easter Service at St George's Chapel earlier this month.
Previous Resemblances
This isn't the first time royal fans have noted the striking resemblance between Prince William and his mischievous son. Last year, young Louis's birthday portrait drew comparisons to an earlier photograph of his father taken during a polo match at Windsor in 1990. In that photo, William claps while watching the match at Guards Polo Club on June 16, 1990, days before his eighth birthday. Both wore smart-casual outfits: William a blue and white striped shirt, khaki trousers, and black belt.
Louis has also inherited his father's mannerisms. One of the most iconic photos of Louis was taken at the Trooping the Colour parade in 2022, showing him covering his ears after becoming overwhelmed. A photo of William, then aged six, taken during the parade years prior similarly showed him looking displeased. Both princes have a penchant for engaging with crowds, mimicking the same wave. In 1986, at his uncle Prince Andrew's wedding, William was seen sticking his tongue out at his cousin, a gesture Louis repeated at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations decades later. Finally, both William and Louis have pointed at crowds from Buckingham Palace's balcony, a habit they appear to have borrowed from King Charles.
