Prince Louis has shown an uncanny resemblance to his father, the Prince of Wales, at the same age in his new portrait released to celebrate his eighth birthday.
The previously unseen photograph of young Louis was captured by Prince William and the Princess of Wales‘s trusted photographer Matt Porteous during the family’s Easter getaway to Cornwall this month.
Shared on Kensington Palace’s social media accounts with the message: ‘Happy birthday, Louis! Eight today!,’ the sweet snap saw the young prince dressed in a £42 blue quarter-zip jumper from Boden while beaming gleefully with his arms crossed.
Yet eagle-eyed royal fans have noticed a striking similarity to his father, now 43, when he was on a family holiday to Mallorca, Spain, in 1990.
A picture, taken when Britain’s future King was just eight years old, shows William holding on to the handlebar of the yacht Fortuna while on holiday with his parents, Princess Diana and King Charles, alongside Prince Harry, then five.
Sharing a similarly gleeful grin to Louis, Wills is captured onboard the royal vessel while King Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, stands behind him in a protective manner.
Like young Louis, William’s brown hair is seen falling just above his eyes, while the prince is also seen squinting slightly due to the bright summer sun.
Prince Louis (pictured in a portrait released for his eigth birthday today) has shown an uncanny resemblance to his father, the Prince of Wales, in an old photograph taken when Prince William would have been the same age as his youngest son
The picture, taken when Britain’s future King was just eight years old, shows William holding onto the handlebar of the yacht Fortuna while on holiday
In both of the photos, both William and Louis are dressed in smart-casual outfits, though the future King opted for more of a summer look with a white t-shirt, while Louis’ navy jumper was indicative of the slightly cooler British spring weather.
Captured in August 1990, William was onboard the royal vessel for a trip that saw members of the British Firm join the Spanish and Greek royal families visit the Spanish royal summer residence, Marivent Palace, located near the island’s capital, Palma.
It marked the last of four annual trips the British royals had made to Spain, as guests of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
When the image of young Louis, who today celebrates his eighth birthday, was shared online, hundreds of well-wishers left heartfelt messages for the royal while describing him as a ‘true precious legend’.
‘He looks so mature,’ one fan commented, 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.
While the youngest Wales child has won over royal fans with his cheeky antics during official engagements, Louis was on his best behaviour as he walked alongside his parents and waved bashfully at fans gathered outside the church in Windsor.
‘Young HRH Prince Louis is learning very well,’ one supporter praised his behaviour at the time.
Last year, royal fans also drew similarities between Britain’s future King and his son when young Louis’ birthday portrait was released
Prince Louis Arthur Charles was born at 11.01am on April 23, 2018, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, and was first photographed with William and Kate outside the Lindo Wing.
The new photo by Mr Porteus is a delightful addition to the collection of Prince Louis’s official portraits released over the years.
Last year, royal fans also drew similarities between Britain’s future King and his son when young Louis’ birthday portrait was released.
The photograph, taken in Norfolk by Josh Shinner, saw Louis dressed in a white and blue checked shirt, with a green jumper layered over the top and paired with jeans.
The sweet snap, which was shared on Kate and William’s Kensington Royal social media accounts, was captioned: ‘Wishing Prince Louis a very Happy 7th Birthday!’
And it drew comparisons to an earlier photograph of Louis’ father taken during a polo match at Windsor in 1990.
The picture was taken days before Prince William’s eighth birthday and shows him clapping while watching the match at Guards Polo Club on June 16, 1990.
This isn’t the first time royal fans have noticed the striking resemblance between Prince William and his mischievous son, who is a favourite of the British public for his cheeky attitude and hilarious expressions
In the photos, both William and Louis are dressed in smart-casual outfits; the future King wore a blue and white striped shirt, khaki trousers, and black belt for his polo match outing at the age of seven.
This isn’t the first time royal fans have noticed the striking resemblance between Prince William and his mischievous son, who is a favourite of the British public for his cheeky attitude and hilarious expressions.
Expressions that Louis appears to have inherited from his father, as old photos of William showed him exhibiting nearly identical mannerisms during public appearances growing up in the Eighties and Nineties.
One of the most iconic photos of Louis was taken at the Trooping the Colour parade in 2022 and showed the royal covering his years after becoming overwhelmed by the proceedings.
A photo of William, then aged six, taken during the parade many years prior similarly showed him looking displeased by the buzz around him.
Like William, Louis also has a penchant for engaging with crowds – mimicking his father’s wave every time he’s out in public.
The Princes have on several occasions been snapped raising their hand in greeting, at times with a smile, and in other instances with a confused air.
While Louis has earned the crown of the cheekiest British royal, old photos of William that captured his sassier side prove the young prince has inherited the unofficial title from his father.
In 1986, at his uncle Prince Andrew’s wedding, he was seen sticking his tongue out at his cousin.
And decades later, at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Louis was the spitting image of his father as he repeated the gesture at his mother, the Princess of Wales.
Finally, both William and Louis have previously displayed a habit they appear to have borrowed from King Charles: pointing at the crowds from Buckingham Palace’s balcony.
In 1985, a cheeky William – aged three – pointed to the crowds as he, his cousin Zara Phillips and Lady Davina Windsor stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony following that year’s Trooping the Colour.
Mirroring his father, Louis looked hyper-focused from the same exact place as he observed an RAF flypast following his grandfather’s Coronation in 2023.