Prince Louis’ birthday photos show major departure from tradition and it’s got us seriously intrigued

Prince Louis’ birthday photos have displayed a major departure from tradition for the Prince and Princess of Wales and it’s got us seriously intrigued. 

• Prince William and Princess Catherine’s youngest son turned five years old on April 23rd and fans weren’t left disappointed as new photos were posted.
• However, unlike all the other birthday photos of Prince Louis, this one wasn’t taken by his proud mom who’s known for her photography skills.
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton shared a rare detail about her much-anticipated coronation outfit.  

Just days after Prince William and Princess Catherine’s tribute to the late Queen in the form of a never-before-seen photo was unveiled, fans were treated to another special royal snap. This one was perhaps to be expected as the future King and Queen Consort marked their son Prince Louis’ fifth birthday on April 23rd with new photos shared the day before, seemingly taken at Adelaide Cottage, Windsor. Posting sweet new photos of their children to mark their big days has become a sweet custom for the Wales family. Though Prince Louis’ birthday photos this year also showcased a major departure from tradition for the first time. 

Taking to social media the Prince and Princess of Wales shared Prince Louis’ birthday photos the day before and they show him beaming and sitting inside a wheelbarrow. In one of the photos proud mom Princess Catherine can be seen grinning at him and holding the wheelbarrow handles, possibly about to push him around the garden.

The second features a close-up of his adorable face and the new photos of Prince Louis got fans commenting about his resemblance to his grandfathers, King Charles and Michael Middleton. However, the caption also revealed another significant detail that many might not have noticed. 

This year, Prince Louis’ birthday photos were taken by Millie Pilkington who was also the private photographer at Prince William and Princess Catherine’s wedding in 2011. This means that for the first time ever in Prince Louis’ life his birthday snaps weren’t taken by his mom. 

For Prince Louis’ first, second, third and fourth birthdays all the birthday pictures shared were taken by Princess Catherine herself - something revealed by the captions. Photography is a passion that Princess Catherine and Carole Middleton shared with the Queen and she has regularly taken her children’s birthday portraits over the years. 

In Prince Louis’ case, these show everything from him on his first day of nursery to him sitting outside in nature at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Princess Catherine also took the photos posted on his actual birthday thanking everyone for their best wishes, aside from his first birthday where the photographer wasn’t confirmed, but the first pictures posted were hers. 

It’s not known why Princess Catherine didn’t take Prince Louis’ birthday photos this year. Perhaps she was needed in front of the camera to push the wheelbarrow or just loves Millie’s work and wanted to showcase it again. It could also potentially be that as Princess of Wales she has so many responsibilities that she preferred to enjoy time with Prince Louis with someone else capturing the moment. 

Either way, Prince Louis’ birthday photos were still every bit as heart-warming and fans were still treated to one of her iconic photos a few days earlier when she and Prince William shared a snap of the Queen with some of her great-grandchildren and grandchildren.