Prince George has already been boarding whilst he’s been at Lambrook School but from September things are going to be looking very different for him. Putting an end to years of speculation, Kensington Palace finally confirmed that George will start at Eton College next term.

This is where Prince William went and it was always hotly tipped to be George’s next school, even though he and his siblings have been co-educated so far. To some people, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s choice might sound like they’re following tradition for tradition’s sake even when it goes against their approach so far.

However, as someone who’s written about the Royal Family for years I can see how George going to Eton will actually help not just him, but Charlotte and Louis too.

The separation might actually be a good thing and the Waleses are so close that I doubt it will affect their bond. As Eton is exclusively all-boys, Charlotte won’t be following in her big brother’s footsteps when she turns 13 and by the time Louis starts at his next school in September 2031, George will have just left Eton.

This means there’ll be no overlap even if Louis goes to the prestigious school too. All three children are growing up in the glare of the public eye, high up in the royal line of succession and they’re generally seen all together.

Going to different schools or starting at different times gives them a good amount of space to discover who they are as people outside of this "Wales children" identity. Prince George, Charlotte and Louis can have the freedom to be individuals and enjoy their own experiences that the others won’t have as they move into their formative teenage years.

They’ve probably already started with this at Lambrook but attending different secondary schools could help with this sense of independence even more. We have to remember that a bit of space isn’t necessarily a bad thing for siblings as they get older.

Prince William and Harry were both at Eton at the same time and in an interview the Duke of Sussex claimed that his older brother asked him to pretend they didn’t know each other. The Waleses are also incredibly close so taking different paths isn’t likely to hurt this bond.

Speaking previously to Hello! royal author Robert Jobson said George going to a new school is a "chance for him to spread his wings and take part in things in the afternoons and evenings instead of going home to Mum and Dad".

Both William and Kate went to boarding schools too and know what it’s like. That doesn’t mean the move won’t be an adjustment for the family at first, and Robert added, "They are such a tight family unit; George will be missed. It will be like having an empty seat at the table."

While Prince William was at Eton the media also abided by strict regulations and generally left him be aside from specific, organised photo opportunities. If the same thing happens with George, Charlotte and Louis then they’ll have privacy to enjoy their new, different paths.

Ultimately, I do think that the Prince and Princess of Wales had the futures of all three of their children in mind when they enrolled Prince George at Eton. It might be hard at first but he, Charlotte and Louis might all feel the benefits in the long run.

Prince Harry might not be a working royal anymore, but he's still one of the highest ranking people in the line of succession, following Prince William and his niece and nephews. He grew up being closely focused upon and now royal biographer Andrew Morton believes that public interest is shifting in George, Charlotte and Louis' favour.

Chatting to the Daily Mail's Senior Editor-at-Large Richard Kay on Palace Confidential, Morton suggested that Harry had a long-standing fear of being "overshadowed" by them. Not only that, but the writer thinks it's already starting to happen.

"The issue that always concerned Prince Harry, that he would be overshadowed by his brother's children, is coming to effect," he alleged. "Because George is looking every inch the very handsome young man and so the big debate will be where are they going to send him to school?"

Prince George turns 13 in July and the amount of speculation over his new school from September shows just how much people are interested in him. Morton, who wrote Diana: Her True Story, thinks Oundle would "fit the bill" if the Waleses want a co-educational private school that Charlotte and Louis could later go to.

Harry and William went to Eton, but the Duke of Sussex has said he "didn't enjoy" it and wanted to be "the bad boy". Morton's claim that Harry "always" worried about being eclipsed comes three years after the Prince admitted to having a very different fear for Charlotte and Louis.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he explained that Prince William "has made it very clear" that his children aren't Harry's responsibility. Even so, he said he still feels one "knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me."

In his memoir, also titled Spare, Harry wrote that he was 20 when he first learned of a remark King Charles allegedly made to Princess Diana after he was born - "Wonderful. You have given me an heir and a spare. You have done your job."

The sense that he grew up somewhat in his older brother's shadow seems to have sparked his concern for Charlotte and/or Louis feeling a similar way about Prince George one day. However, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes that Prince William and Kate are likely doing all they can to avoid this situation.

She said in the past, "They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I'm sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved and valued as George."

The Prince of Wales also divulged in The Reluctant Traveler that he's keen to modernise the monarchy and move away from certain "practices".

"I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do. A world and a job that actually does impact people's lives for the better," he said. "That is caveated with, I hope we don't go back to some of the practices of the past, that Harry and I had to grow up in. And I'll do everything I can to make sure we don't regress in that situation."

The Princess of Wales has plenty of individual honours, from her royal titles to her military roles, but now she's got one that she can share with her children too. She, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have all made the shortlist for a prestigious competition - or, at least, a photo of them has.

The judges for the UK Picture Editors Guild Awards have selected a snapshot of the family at the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day to be in the running for a win. The public can now vote for their favourite of the 21 shortlisted pictures.

Getting chosen at this stage is already a big achievement and this royal photo is an action shot, showing George, Louis and Kate all leaning sideways to get a better view of the flypast. Only Charlotte is standing poised and straight, and her younger brother looks particularly in awe.

Like Trooping the Colour flypasts, this one featured not only the RAF's Red Arrows but current and historic military aircrafts. It's no wonder that George and Louis were desperate to get a good glimpse of them, as they're believed to have been playing "guess the aircraft".

Analysing the Waleses at the time, lip reader Nicola Hickling suggested to Hello! that the Princess of Wales asked her elder son, "What is this, George?" and he replied that he couldn't see it yet. Prince Louis then reportedly chimed in, "It's my turn."

Even Prince William, who previously served in the RAF, got involved in the game and apparently told Queen Camilla, "It's the wrong answer". According to Nicola, she jokingly replied, "Are we playing this still? I need to try harder."

Perhaps the short-listed picture captured a moment of them all trying to identify something else, or they could've merely been excited to see a particular craft. Either way, it's a special snap and it sums up the Princes' enthusiasm and Princess Charlotte's calm, self-assured nature.

She's the one who's often been spotted telling her brothers what to do at big public events. At Trooping the Colour 2024 the young Princess seemingly told Louis, "Put your arms by your side". This is the typical pose for the royals during the National Anthem in particular and Charlotte was standing impeccably like this in the VE Day picture.

The Waleses (minus Prince William who sadly didn't appear in this specific snap) aren't the only royals in the running to be a UK Picture Editors Guild Award winner.

A picture of King Charles talking to 101-year-old World War II veteran Ruth Barnwell, taken at the tea party to mark VE Day's 80th anniversary, has also been shortlisted. So has an image of Princess Anne looking straight-faced at two sleeping farmers at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh.

Many of the other pictures focus on more poignant or political events from 2025, including one that depicts the harrowing aftermath of the attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester last October.

The winner of the UK Picture Editors Guild Awards will be announced on 30th June and public voting closes at 12pm on 10th June.

It seems that eight-year-old Prince Louis has taken after his great-grandmother when it comes to his preferred snack. The late Queen had a serious sweet tooth and loved chocolate, but her teatime essential was slightly healthier and Louis apparently eats the same thing in the car.

Prince William revealed this in a recent appearance on Heart Breakfast, where he was asked if the morning school run is chaotic. He admitted it can be, depending on what's going on, and said, "There's a lot of jam sandwiches taken in the car usually."

Giving his youngest son a specific shout-out, the dad-of-three added, "Louis will leave jam fingerprints throughout the car, which is really helpful."

I suspect Queen Elizabeth never indulged in a messy jam sandwich while she was in a car, but she reportedly enjoyed them with her afternoon tea. On the Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Kitchen, former royal chef Graham Newbould claimed she was served "jam penny sandwiches", round and crustless, instead of ones with "points". This is an old custom with a rather surprising reason behind it.

"The royals never have square sandwiches because tradition has it that anyone presenting them with pointed-edged food is trying to overthrow the throne of England," Graham explained.

Meanwhile, on his YouTube Channel fellow former royal chef Darren McGrady has previously shared that the Queen was served penny sandwiches as a little girl and "had them for afternoon tea ever since".

These were "usually" filled with strawberry jam which would be made with berries from the gardens at Balmoral. We don't know what kind Prince Louis has in his sandwiches (and gets all over the Waleses' car) but perhaps he tucks into Balmoral strawberry jam too. His mum Kate also makes her own plum jam.

Earlier this year the Princess visited Wales and heard how young volunteers at a community garden were growing plums and making jam. She apparently told them, "I'll send you my recipe so you can try it."

Jarred goods seem to be a speciality of Kate's, as she famously made her granny's chutney as her first Christmas present to Queen Elizabeth. Homemade recipes could also be a bit healthier as a snack for Louis, though his love for jam sandwiches clearly keeps her and William busy cleaning their car.

When you have three young children like the Waleses do, a messy car is to be expected and Louis had a new habit last autumn that brought a little bit of chaos indoors too. The young royal developed an interest in collecting conkers and the Princess confessed, "We keep finding conkers in cupboards, in his bed - conkers everywhere!"

She added that her son had also been putting the conkers in his toy trucks and playing with them. Thankfully the conker season in the UK is relatively short, but it seems that Prince Louis's excitement meant tidiness took a backseat for a little while just as it does when he’s enjoying his jam sandwiches on the way to school.

Behind closed doors, mornings in the Wales household can be "chaotic" and Prince William recently gave his two youngest children a stern warning over their behaviour. The future King made a special appearance on Heart Breakfast on 22nd May and during a chat about the school run he hinted that old arguments can still arise between Charlotte and Louis…

"Charlotte and Louis, if you're listening, make sure you're on time, please, make sure you're not fighting over who listens to what this morning," he said live on air.

We already knew that the Wales children liked to have their own favourite tunes playing in the morning, though Prince William previously suggested they'd found a way to prevent fall-outs.

On the 2021 Apple Fitness+ series, Time to Walk, the royal dad admitted, "Most mornings there's a massive fight between Charlotte and George as to what song is played in the morning."

Now, with Prince George sometimes boarding at Lambrook School it seems that it's his younger siblings who end up bickering over music. The solution William and Kate tried to implement was the children taking turns and they have to "basically prioritise" one child's choice each day.

However, this fair approach doesn't seem to have entirely eliminated the arguments by the sounds of it! Hopefully, Prince William's warning to Princess Charlotte and Louis might have helped smooth things over - if they were actually listening at home.

The Prince and Princess personally do school drop-offs and pick-ups as much as possible and William confessed things "can be" chaotic.

"It depends if there's a guitar lesson going on in the morning - a music lesson - you've got to get the guitar in the car," he said. "No, we're not taking the guitar; we need the bag for school. Are we boarding? No, we're not. Are we seeing friends? No, we're not. So there's all that going on in the morning."

Eight-year-old Louis also loves eating jam sandwiches on the way to school and leaves sticky fingerprints everywhere in the car - "which is really helpful", quipped William.

These confessions show how much has really changed when it comes to royal parenting. It's hard to imagine the late Queen Elizabeth driving King Charles to school as he enjoyed a snack in the back of the car, but we'd expect nothing less from the Waleses, who also pause royal engagements during school holidays.

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are currently on their May half-term break and when they return to school, it'll be George's last few weeks at Lambrook. He turns 13 in July and will begin a new school in September, with Eton College (William's old school) and Marlborough College (Kate's) hotly tipped to be the top contenders.

Both are boarding schools and Prince George is already getting used to living partly away from home, though it will still be a big change for him.

"William used to go to visit the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor while he was at Eton College, but that has to be organised. You can't just pop home when you want to," royal author Robert Jobson told Hello!. "They are such a tight family unit; George will be missed. It will be like having an empty seat at the table."

As the son of a future King, Prince Louis is destined to receive a more senior title one day, but it apparently won't be the one that we all thought. There are certain titles that are traditionally bestowed on particular people in the line of succession.

The direct heir to the throne is made Prince of Wales and the monarch's eldest daughter often becomes Princess Royal. The second son is usually made Duke of York and yet eight-year-old Louis might be denied this.

Speaking on her and Reverend Richard Coles' Catching Up With the Royals podcast, expert and woman&home royal correspondent Emily Andrews suggested that the Dukedom of York is going to be "on ice" for decades despite the tradition.

"From what I've been told I think that title will be on ice for at least one or two generations," she declared in the episode released on 16th April.

Prince Louis's great-uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was created Duke of York in 1986 by Queen Elizabeth and he's who most people associate with the title. Andrew's now been formally stripped of this Dukedom and his princely title "notwithstanding" that he vehemently denies all allegations of wrongdoing against him.

However, his association with the late Jeffrey Epstein and his arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office mean that Andrew is still firmly the focus of negative headlines. It perhaps makes sense that Prince William wouldn't want to bestow his disgraced uncle's former title on his younger son.

When asked if the Royal Family have other titles they can bestow upon Louis instead when the time comes, Emily confirmed, "There are other Dukedoms that are vacant". One of these, as Reverend Coles noted, is the Dukedom of Clarence.

The Dukedom of Windsor also hasn't been granted to anyone else since 1972 when Queen Elizabeth's uncle died. He was formerly King Edward VIII before he abdicated and married American divorcee Wallis Simpson. This was a huge scandal at the time and severely affected his relationship with the Royal Family.

With this in mind, perhaps this title also has a little too much "baggage" in recent memory to be given to Prince Louis. Getting a different title might feel like a fresh start and the eight-year-old isn't the only one who might be moving away from tradition.

Emily Andrews discussed how there's been talk of Princess Charlotte becoming Duchess of Edinburgh in her own right one day. She claims "James, Edward and Sophie's son is not going to become Duke of Edinburgh" and Edward only retains the Dukedom for his lifetime.

Princess Charlotte cannot be made Princess Royal, as is customary for a monarch's eldest daughter, whilst Princess Anne is alive. She has the honour for life and only then will it revert to the crown.

Having new titles only associated with them might be a nice change for Louis and Charlotte and it's likely they won't receive any for many decades in any case, as William was only created Duke of Cambridge when he got married.

Prince Louis’s eighth birthday has been marked with the traditional adorable photo posted by his proud parents - and the unique feel has been backed up with a second post too. In the past there’s usually been an outdoorsy focus, but this time, they swapped greenery and bluebells for a coastal backdrop and shared a glimpse into a recent family holiday.

Taken by Matt Porteous who’s behind several other iconic Wales family snaps, the picture shows the Prince and Princess of Wales’s youngest son leaning against boat railings with rolling blue waves in the background. Beaming at the camera, Louis is dressed a little more casually than usual too, in a blue half-zip jumper and polo shirt.

Over the years the Wales kids’ birthday portraits have gradually got more and more relaxed and personal - and this continues the new trend.

According to reports, Matt took this photo during the family’s recent trip to Cornwall in the Easter holidays. It gives us an insight into Prince Louis in an off-duty setting, completely away from the public eye and enjoying family time by the sea.

Although not confirmed by the palace, the railings behind the Prince look to be part of a boat and if so, this would be a first for these kinds of royal pictures. Never before have we seen the Wales kids take to the ocean and their mum is a keen sailor herself.

She’s demonstrated her skills several times at engagements in the past and reports have claimed Kate has been teaching Prince George, Charlotte and Louis too. These kinds of trips are strictly private and so any pictures taken during them are a rare and special thing.

So imagine my surprise when we got not only this snapshot, but a full video featuring clips of Louis at the beach too! Released later on in the day, the accompanying caption reads, "Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis. 8 is great!"

We got to see him running on the sand, playing beach cricket and jumping excitedly into the sea wearing a wetsuit. This was a video that showed us Louis the eight-year-old, rather than specifically Louis the Prince.

His last few birthday pictures, including his 7th birthday snap taken by Josh Shinner, have all been taken in the garden or woodland of Norfolk. It’s lovely that the Prince and Princess of Wales have switched things up and given us a glimpse of Louis enjoying down time.

Over the years he’s become famous for his cheeky antics at events like Trooping the Colour and Getty royal photographer Chris Jackson included a picture of one of these in his book, Modern Monarchy: The British Royal Family In A New Era.

"I had to include a shot from 2022 that showed one of Queen Elizabeth II's last appearances on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, when Prince Louis put his hands over his ears as the RAF Red Arrows roared overhead," Chris told Hello!, adding that it’s "that kind of heart-warming situation that has [him] chuckling behind the camera."

Nowadays Prince Louis is so grown-up at big formal occasions and the 8th birthday picture captures this too. He’ll be spending most of his special day in lessons at Lambrook School, but there’ll no doubt be a private celebration when he gets home and possibly a delicious cake home-made by mum Kate.

Easter Sunday is a special time for many, and this year, royal fans had extra reason to celebrate - Kate Middleton and her family marked their return to the fold after a two-year absence (missing the service in 2024 and 2025 amid Kate’s cancer treatment).

Dressed in an elegant beige ensemble from Self Portrait - an outfit Kate had previously worn in 2022 during an engagement with Princess Anne - the Princess of Wales was all smiles returning for the service, accompanied by Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Clearly just as thrilled at their return as royal fans will be, King Charles greeted Louis with the sweetest gesture that delighted fans and nodded at Charles's reputation as a very hands-on, present grandparent.

As His Majesty approached the chapel, he couldn’t resist a playful pat on Louis’s shoulder - a very comforting gesture that perhaps wouldn’t strike anyone as particularly notable, except this is the Royal Family we are talking about.

Louis was all smiles after the exchange, dressed sharply in a navy suit with a pale blue tie that perfectly matched his older brother, Prince George.

The King dropping any sense of airs and graces to greet his grandchildren with a warm gesture offers a look at how he is prioritising his role as a grandfather first.

Louis and Charles’ adorable relationship is well known, with adorable moments between the duo often proving to be a highlight of royal events.

At 2025’s Trooping the Colour, the King was all smiles, laughing and pointing away at Louis’s antics on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as the youngster was earnestly copying his grandfather’s actions and taking his lead.

Fans will also remember the adorable scenes from the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations when Louis just had to sit on his grandfather’s knee - it didn’t matter that, at the time, Charles was the heir apparent, celebrating a historic milestone for both his family and his country. He was still happy to be on grandpa duties for the youngster.

This approach to grandparenting is something that the King’s nearest and dearest have praised over the years.

Previously, for the documentary, Prince, Son & Heir: Charles at 70, Queen Camilla shared how Charles is not afraid to act silly for the grandchildren.

"He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing and my Grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him."

Queen Camilla’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, has also previously told People how "wonderful" Charles has been.

Tom said, "He has been a wonderful step-grandfather. He has his own grandchildren, obviously. The children utterly adore him. From an early age, he’s read them stories, been there, and swung them around."

It was a strong, united showing of the family following a tough few months with the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were, perhaps understandably, not at the service, choosing to remain low-key and out of the public eye for now. Duchess Sophie and Lady Louise Windsor were also not present.

However, the likes of Princess Anne, Prince Edward and James, Earl of Wessex, Peter Phillips and his bride-to-be, Harriet Sperling, and Lady Sarah Chatto, Princess Margaret’s daughter were all in attendance.

The happy family times will continue for the royals after their service. It’s understood that the family enjoy a longstanding tradition of coming together for a four-course roast dinner and luxurious chocolate eggs after church.

Prince Louis has kept everyone thoroughly entertained over the years with his exuberance - and mischievousness - at major royal occasions. Trooping the Colour might be the monarch’s official birthday parade but in the eyes of many fans, it’s Louis’ time to shine and we’ve seen countless hilarious expressions from him.

This includes the Platinum Jubilee parade in 2022 and royal photographer Chris Jackson has revealed that one of his iconic pictures of Louis had him "chuckling". He included it in his new book, Modern Monarchy: The British Royal Family In A New Era, and explained why it made the cut.

"There are always some fun moments. I had to include a shot from 2022 that showed one of Queen Elizabeth II's last appearances on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, when Prince Louis put his hands over his ears as the RAF Red Arrows roared overhead," Chris told Hello!.

The contrast of the then-four-year-old yelling over the noise whilst his great-grandmother stood serenely beside him is hilarious. Chris Jackson said as much too, adding that the children always make him smile, adding that they’re "not always adhering to royal protocol, necessarily" and it’s "that kind of heart-warming situation that has [him] chuckling behind the camera."

"One of the great things about being a royal photographer is being at the epicentre of these incredible, positive, exciting moments," he shared.

Prince Louis in particular sounds like a photographer’s dream person to take pictures of, precisely because he’s so authentically himself and doesn’t always follow the "rules".

As he’s got older we’ve seen fewer cheeky expressions from him, but he’s given us plenty we’ll never forget - from this Trooping the Colour moment, to him blowing a raspberry at Kate during the Platinum Pageant and blowing out Charlotte’s candle at Together at Christmas.

He’s now very used to the noise and excitement of the Sovereign’s birthday parade and last year no-one could fail to notice his delight at seeing the flypast and the crowds below. The seven-year-old even snuck in one sneaky final wave as the Royal Family turned to go back inside Buckingham Palace afterwards.

We’ll never know exactly what the royals say to each other on the balcony, though according to reports the Princess of Wales did step in once to remind her youngest son about protocol. It was very subtle and lip reader Jeremy Freeman claims she said, "National anthem. Louis, stand."

The Prince then straightened up and stood throughout the anthem just like the rest of his family. Whilst he has a reputation for mischievousness based on past appearances, Louis is growing up and his proud dad Prince William was full of praise for him when asked if he was a "handful".

During a visit to the Women’s Institute last September, the future King said, "He's a character, but he's a very good boy. He likes to wind his brother and sister up." The Prince of Wales also reportedly shared more about what Prince George is like in private.

"When George is behind closed doors, it's completely different. George just knows how to behave," Prince William said.

Princess Lilibet has been given a special shout-out by Meghan on Instagram and besides being adorable, it also shows just how much she and Prince Louis have in common. The royal cousins live on opposite sides of the pond and it’s thought they haven’t even met each other in person, but it seems Lili and Louis are both pros behind the camera.

Jumping on the ‘2026 is the new 2016’ trend in her own way, Meghan posted a black and white video of her and Harry dancing in their garden, recreating the romance of the year they began dating. You’d be forgiven for thinking a professional was recruited for the filming but the caption revealed that four-year-old Lilibet shot this clip.

She’s following in her 7-year-old cousin’s footsteps here and her skills remind me of the picture Louis took of Kate for World Cancer Day last year.

Once again, you’d never have known it was taken by a child if the proud mum hadn’t shared this detail in the caption. It showed the Princess of Wales standing in the middle of woodland with her arms outstretched, appreciating the peace and quiet. She’s spoken a lot in recent months about how calming and healing she finds being out in nature, and how it was her "sanctuary" during her cancer treatment.

Although the picture wasn’t black and white like Lilibet’s video, it was similarly artistic, with the light streaming through the trees. Given how young both cousins are, the posts are remarkable and the public credits suggest that they’re being encouraged in their hobby by their parents.

Both Meghan and Kate are clearly keen to showcase Lilibet and Louis’s work and the Princess of Wales is known for her own photography skills. She’s taken plenty of famous royal photos, including Queen Camilla’s Country Life cover.

The mum-of-three has also been dubbed an "amazing photographer" by professional Matt Porteous, who once said that she will "always point us in the right direction for light and backdrops". The Duchess of Sussex is also very into photograph-taking and is used to being filmed thanks to her successful acting career.

Princess Lilibet and Prince Louis’s shared hobby seems to be inspired by their mothers, as is another activity they have in common - baking! Meghan has shown snippets of her and Lili making strawberry-topped bagels for Valentine’s Day and in 2025, she and Prince Archie helped bake raspberry thumbprint cookies for the crew and audience of The Drew Barrymore Show.

Meanwhile, Kate assisted Prince George, Charlotte and Louis with making cupcakes for a Platinum Jubilee street party in 2022. Louis was also apparently inspired by baking when it came to his first word too, with his mum telling Mary Berry, "One of Louis' first words was 'Mary' because right at his height are all my cooking books in the kitchen bookshelf."

He and Lilibet would likely have a lot of fun together if they were on the same side of the Atlantic. The Princess has only been to the UK once since she was born and a source has told The Sunday Times that Harry is eager to show her and Archie more of his home country.

"His desire is to show his kids where he grew up and the UK. If security is sorted, he’ll want to sit down and think about what does that look like? How should we show up? We’d all hope for and love that to happen," they declared.

Just like the King’s speech on Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales’s carol service has become a festive TV tradition many people look forward to every December. Together at Christmas airs on Christmas Eve on ITV, but it was filmed back on 5th December at Westminster Abbey and the theme of the 2025 service was love in all its forms.

It’s no surprise that Princess Catherine was joined by plenty of her own loved ones, including Prince William and their three children. Prince Louis attended Together at Christmas for the first time in 2023 and provided one of the most hilarious carol service moments to date: the candle blowing incident.

Prince Louis leaning over and dramatically blowing out Charlotte’s candle as they left the Abbey was captured in pictures that never fail to make me smile.

From Catherine’s widened eyes and shocked smile, to Charlotte’s giggles and Louis’s obvious delight, it’s a snapshot of Christmas - albeit not exactly the one his parents intended. The festive season is all about family and children having fun, perhaps making a mess or playing jokes on each other is all part of this.

Prince Louis’s cheeky personality was on full display and reminded everyone that he is a child after all, though a very well-known one. Of course, the carol concert is a poignant event that gives thanks and that’s incredibly important, though no-one could begrudge the then-five-year-old just being himself in a brief moment at the end.

"Louis is still hugely playful, even blowing out his sister’s candle, but the expression on Charlotte’s face is one of shared fun and total indulgence here,” body language expert and author Judi James told woman&home.com at the time.

She added, “Charlotte will happily step in to check her two brothers’ behaviour at formal events and the fact that she was smiling suggests Louis has gone past his super-playful stage and now keeps his fun within limits."

Now he’s seven and has attended a lot more high-profile royal occasions, observing how his older siblings behave and there’s been an understandable shift in his approach. I didn’t spot any humorous antics from Louis during the 2025 Together at Christmas service and I suspect that his days of being mischievous in public might be behind him.

We still saw plenty of personality from the young Prince at the concert, including his obvious adoration for his mum as they locked eyes whilst holding their candles.

He’s just more grown-up and probably a bit more aware of the public’s attention than he was when he blew out Charlotte’s candle - or when he covered Catherine’s mouth with his hand at the Jubilee Concert in 2022.

Louis behaved impeccably at the Princess of Wales’s service this year and joined his siblings in hanging a paper chain on the Connection Tree at Westminster Abbey. Prince George, Charlotte and Louis all wrote their names on their chain link and it reminded me of 2024, when they placed handwritten notes on the Kindness Tree.

"Thank you for Granny and Grandpa because they have played games with me," Prince Louis declared in his, perhaps referring to the Middletons. Whether intentionally or not (though I think it’s likely another cute tribute to Carole), he wore a blue and green tartan tie to the service this December that perfectly matched his grandmother’s coat.

A self-confessed "list-maker" who starts planning Christmas well in advance, Carole Middleton makes sure there’s festive spirit in abundance when it comes to her Grade II listed house in Berkshire.

The Princess of Wales’s mum, who lives with husband Michael in the sprawling country manor, previously revealed that she goes all out when it comes to decorating for Christmas with not one, not two, but three Christmas trees. And there’s a sweet, thoughtful reason for this that showcases how hands-on she is as a grandmother.

Each tree has a distinct purpose. One tree is the fashionable, themed one and the second is a "memory" tree, decorated with family decorations and heirlooms going right back. But the third Christmas tree is where the children have free reign to decorate it however they want.

This is a fun idea to unlock a child’s creativity, and one that proves why her former party planning business, Party Pieces, was so successful. It also allows the likes of Prince George, Charlotte and Louis to get fully involved and feel part of the Christmas prep process with their granny, especially as they often spend Christmas Day itself at Sandringham House in Norfolk with the Royal Family.

At the time she revealed her tradition, the Wales kids would likely have dominated the 'children's tree' decorating. The only other grandchild Carole had in 2018 was Arthur Matthews, Pippa Middleton’s eldest, who was born that October.

By December 2025, Carole’s family has expanded, with more grandchildren around to decorate their tree. Pippa's daughters Grace and Rose and James's son Inigo are now there to lend a helping hand.

Decorating the tree is one thing, but Carole also likes to get her grandchildren taking responsibility for other things from a young age. She's keen on getting them involved in the kitchen work too, "chopping and stirring" as early as possible.

It’s all part of her focus on being a hands-on grandmother and she credits her mother-in-law with inspiring her approach. She described Michael's mum as being a "wonderful role model" to her and someone she "tried to emulate". Now Carole Middleton is inspiring the younger generations.

She's also been a big source of support and insight for her son-in-law, Prince William too. Psychiatrist Max Pemberton has previously claimed that Carole's impact on William has allowed him to have a sense of "ordinary life", embracing new traditions.

"We all know how tricky life with in-laws can be. And yet sometimes, they provide an alternative type of family to ours, which is welcome," Max declared. "It's said William considers Carole a second mum. Of course, he lost his own at a tender age, so Carole may represent that maternal figure he's lacked."

"The embrace of a new family, with its different perspectives and traditions, can be very healthy and help us to flourish," he added.

There are always little moments and details that go under the radar at royal events and Together at Christmas is no exception. The Princess of Wales' annual carol service took place on 5th December and, like always, it had a big turn-out of royals.

This included Catherine and William's children and Prince Louis' outfit featured a subtle but sweet nod to his granny Carole Middleton. She and Michael attended the service too and Louis' tie perfectly matched her House of Bruar coat. Both were green and blue tartan which tied in with Catherine's coat and the rest of the Wales family's navy outfits.

Prince William and George were in suits and ties too, but it was only Louis who wore a tartan one. Although the coordination with Carole could have been a coincidence, so much thought goes into every royal outfit and this makes me wonder if it was a specific, sentimental choice.

After all, the Princess of Wales might have discussed outfits with her mum pre-Together at Christmas and there is always such cohesion between the children as it is. In my mind, there's no way that Louis' look was a last minute decision and I suspect Carole would have planned her own ensemble in advance too.

Louis could easily have worn the same green tie as George, though the tartan one created this low-key link with his grandmother and tied the Middletons in with the Wales family. George, Charlotte and Louis have a close bond with their maternal grandparents and last year Louis paid another tribute to them at the carol service.

If you look closely at pictures from the event last year, you can just make out the message he wrote on his note for the Kindness Tree: "Thank you for Granny and Grandpa because they have played games with me".

He could've been talking about King Charles and Queen Camilla, though she's understood to be called 'GaGa' by her grandkids. We also saw Louis playing games with Carole and Michael in Will Warr’s video which Catherine released last September when she confirmed she’d completed cancer treatment.

Royal expert and author Ingrid Seward previously expressed her belief that Carole was an invaluable source of support and stepped in to help with her Wales grandchildren whilst Catherine was undergoing treatment.

"Carole is a really helpful, practical and unflappable mum and grandmother. Rather than ask what she can do, she just gets on with it; she’s very proactive," she’s quoted as saying. "When William went back to royal duties, she was doing the school run and probably doing things like filling the freezer with the kids' favourite foods."

Ingrid added, "Looking after the three kids would have been absolutely no problem for her whatsoever and Kate would have been able to relax in the knowledge that her mother's hand was on the wheel."

The Middletons live close to the Prince and Princess of Wales and this time of year is particularly family-focused for them. Carole has revealed in the past that she makes it extra special for her grandchildren and has a Christmas tree just for them to decorate.

She’s a fan of traditional games like sardines and musical statues, and wants the children to eat with the adults "as soon as they can sit up properly".

"As a family, we try to have as many meals together as possible because that’s when you talk and have fun," Carole explained.

Prince Louis might only be seven but according to reports, he's just received his first offer to take on a patronage. His parents and the rest of the working members of the Royal Family - as well as some non-working royals - have multiple patronages they support and are typically connected to causes or areas close to their hearts.

It's likely given how high up Louis is in the royal line of succession that he will be a royal patron himself one day. However, his time hasn't come quite yet as Prince William and Kate are said to have politely declined a request for Prince Louis to become an honorary patron of the World Conker Championships.

As per The Telegraph, the World Conker Championships allegedly wrote to the Prince and Princess of Wales after their son's passion for conker collecting became known in September.

"Like the many other organisations for which members of the Royal Family are patrons, we have charitable aims and have raised [hundreds of thousands of pounds] to help people living with sight loss," said WCC spokesman St John Burkett. "We were so heartened to hear that Prince Louis is such a conkers fan and he would be the perfect honorary patron for our organisation. We would be delighted were his parents to accept our offer."

Sadly, this apparently didn't happen, but the publication has claimed that a Palace spokesperson had a brilliant reply nevertheless.

"We really appreciate the invitation but currently Prince Louis is 'conker-trating' on his studies," they stated.

This is not only a kind and memorable way to turn down an honorary patronage, but also makes total sense. Louis is, after all, only seven and Prince William and Kate are keen for their children to grow up with as much privacy and normalcy as possible.

Taking on an official role at this young age doesn’t quite fit with that, although it’s possible that he could become Patron in the future if the World Conker Championships ask again. In the meantime, Prince Louis still has several weeks of peak conker season to enjoy.

The recent offer came after the Princess of Wales divulged that her youngest son had been making a bit of a mess with his hobby at home at Adelaide Cottage.

"We keep finding conkers in cupboards, in his bed - conkers everywhere!" Kate reportedly told Chief Scout Dwayne Fields during an engagement alongside US First Lady Melania Trump.

She added that Louis has even taken to putting the conkers in his toy trucks and playing with them too, as per Hello! magazine. Conkers have mostly all fallen by October so the seven-year-old doesn’t have much time to add to what sounds like an already impressive collection.

We know he’ll also have to be fitting collecting around "conker-trating" on school work too. Lambrook School’s October half-term is drawing closer and it’s been suggested that the Wales family could be moving into their new house by early November.

If the rumours that their "forever home" is Forest Lodge are correct, then they’ll have even more outdoor space for Louis to search for conkers in the autumns to come.

There’s no one failsafe trick to being a cool mom, but a sprinkling of magic can certainly help - as the Princess of Wales has proved. She and Prince William have reportedly brightened up George, Charlotte and Louis's autumn already with a very special trip most children could only dream of.

According to the Daily Mail, the couple recently took their three children to visit the Hogsmeade Station set for the new Harry Potter television series. The Wales family allegedly got to experience a bit of the magic up close because part of the set was built in Windsor Great Park, not too far from Adelaide Cottage and very close to their rumoured forever home Forest Lodge.

As well as getting to tour the set, the Wales family are said to have met with some of the cast, including the three young stars who’ll play Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"It was so special," a source who was on set alleged to the publication. "Kate and the children met the young actors and the director on the set. There was only one night of filming there, so it really was a magical ticket."

They continued, "And as for Louis, he got the chance to ride on the train with the driver. He seemed to absolutely love it. It's the dream for most children to step aboard the Hogwarts Express."

As per Marie Claire, another source revealed that they weren’t the only royal children who were supposedly invited to the spellbinding experience. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's children are said to have visited the set, too.

"They were busy looking at the Hogwarts Express and it genuinely seemed like a magical time for them," the source shared.

Reflecting on this reported visit, woman&home's Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock says, "As royals there are certain outings that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis get to enjoy that not everyone would, but they're not constant. Prince William and Kate reserve these trips for things they genuinely love, like when George gets to go to watch the football and Charlotte visited the Strictly Come Dancing set. That way they can really appreciate them for the treats that they are."

The Wales children might be very familiar with the plotlines and characters of Harry Potter by now. Queen Camilla previously revealed, as per the Daily Mail, that King Charles once read them to her grandchildren, so it's always possible he's read the novels to George, Charlotte and Louis too.

Meanwhile, more than a decade ago Kate, along with Prince William and Prince Harry attended the official opening of the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour. The trio enjoyed letting their inner children run wild, being pictured waving wands and playing with costumes and props from the sets of the original Harry Potter movies.

During this visit in April 2013, Kate was actually pregnant with George - and now he’s nearly a teenager getting to see the franchise get made in a different form alongside his siblings.

Alongside all the more poignant remarks made by Prince William to Eugene Levy on his Apple TV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler, there were also some much more light-hearted moments that could easily slip under the radar. This includes the revelation that the future King and his children occasionally make trips to nearby Windsor Castle and recreate his own childhood fun.

Giving Eugene a grand tour of the historic residence, William described St George’s Hall as one of his "favourite parts". It was also where he and his cousins used to enjoy games that came with a risk factor, though, thankfully, his own kids don’t have to worry about this anymore.

"My cousins and I and the family, would chase each other up and down here and play silly games. And I remember these carpets weren’t here, and there are a couple of spots where you used to have to watch out because you’d get massive splinters because the floor is old wood," he shared.

Instead of sumptuous carpets, there was "just a really dark, wooden oak floor". The Prince explained, "When you went running off, you’d end up coming away with an enormous splinter. Everyone would say ‘stop, stop’ and someone would have an enormous splinter in their foot."

The addition of the carpet has changed the game when it comes to chasing each other up and down St George’s Hall, though. William confessed that "now it’s a lot easier", saying, "My children don’t realise how lucky they are. They've got a big old carpet. They can run down and there's no splinters."

He disclosed that they "come in after hours" and "chase each other around sometimes", showing that this sweet childhood tradition is being upheld now with his kids.

It’s fun to imagine the Wales family running around somewhere like Windsor Castle and is definitely a reminder that whilst they’re royal, George, Charlotte and Louis are also still children who enjoy everything that comes with being this age. The magnificence and history of the royal residences is something that, as members of the public, we’ll never not see above all.

Yet when Eugene asked the future King if he ever got "overwhelmed" by the "sheer history" of Windsor Castle, William revealed he doesn’t.

"Because I think if you're not careful, history can be a real weight and an anchor around you, and you can feel suffocated by it, and restricted by it too much," he said. "And I think it is important to live for the here and now."

When the TV star questioned what does overwhelm him, the Prince of Wales movingly shared that family-related things do, but not his royal role like it once did.

William said, "Stuff to do with family overwhelms me quite a bit, you know, worry or stress around the family side of things, that does overwhelm me quite a bit. But in terms of doing the job and things like that, I don’t feel too overwhelmed by that. Not now anyway, when I was younger, yeah there are bits that overwhelm you like, woah, are we actually doing this, is this sort of happening?"

He thinks that "with time and age" you naturally feel "a bit more settled in that side of things".

"When it’s to do with family and things like that, that’s when I start to get overwhelmed as I think most people would. Because it’s more personal, it’s more about feeling, it’s more about about upsetting the rhythm, if you like," Prince William added.

Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.

Prince William has shared a hilariously sweet insight into life at home with the Wales children, revealing that the garden trampoline is a firm favourite for Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.

The Prince of Wales got honest in conversation with Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy, in a new episode of Apple TV+'s The Reluctant Traveller, during which he discussed everything from his relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth to dealing with Princess Catherine's cancer battle.

In one particular lighthearted moment, the doting father-of-three opened up about fun moments at the Wales family home of Adelaide Cottage, explaining that Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte enjoy some playful sibling bonding on their trampoline.

"Louis loves the trampoline, he’s obsessed by trampolining, and Charlotte actually does it a lot as well," William told Eugene.

Admitting that playtime between his second and third-born can involve a bit of rough and tumble, the future King continued, "And as far as I can tell, they just end up jumping up and down on the trampoline and beating each other up most of the time. Apparently, there is an art to it."

While Princess Charlotte is all about netball and ballet, he explained that it's football and hockey that Prince George loves.

For busy Prince William, catching up on rest is what he likes to do during days off at home.

"When you have 3 small children, sleep is an important part of my life," he said. "Now they’re at a certain age where, unless they are ill, they do sleep pretty well. So that’s a bit of a relief.

"But when you’ve got three small children growing up and they are waking up at all sorts of times in the night, it is quite exhausting, as every parent will tell you."

Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.

Following the "huge shock" of being diagnosed with cancer last year, the Princess of Wales and Prince William then had the unimaginably difficult task of breaking the news to their children. In an official video announcing her illness, Kate went on to reveal it took them time to explain everything to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that was "appropriate for them".

Now, Prince William has shared an insight into how the couple’s children were affected by their mum’s illness. In season 3 of Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler, the future King said he and Kate went about things in a specific way to help them.

"Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for these sorts of things, and children are constantly learning and adapting," he told the Schitt’s Creek star. "We tried to make sure we give them the security and safety that they need."

The Prince of Wales quickly shattered the age-old stereotype of the Royal Family as being stoic and silent. He revealed that he and Kate are raising George, Charlotte and Louis in a household where talking about tough things is encouraged.

He continued, "We're a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us and affect us. But you never quite know the knock-on effects it can have, and so it is just important to be there for each other and reassure the children that everything is okay."

Being there, talking things through and offering reassurance is seemingly what helped the entire Wales family through what William has since described as the "hardest year" of his life. In September 2024 the Princess shared a powerful message with a video filmed by Will Warr, in which she said they’d had to "find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown".

"The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you," she added, as she confirmed she had completed her treatment.

During his chat with Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler, William was asked how things are now and movingly spoke of his desire to protect Kate, their children and his father King Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer last year.

He declared, "Things are good, everything is progressing in the right way which is all good news, but 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had. Trying to balance protecting the children, Catherine, my father needs a bit of protection and he’s old enough to do that himself as well, but it’s important my family feel protected and have the space to process a lot of the stuff that’s gone on last year."

The Prince also touched on the impact of the media scrutiny, which was intense in the months before Kate confirmed she had been diagnosed with cancer. In her absence from public life, speculation arose over why and William explained he takes "a very strong line about where [he] think[s] that line is and those who overstep it, [he] will fight against".

"But equally I understand that in my role there is interest, you have to work with the media they are all there so you have to have a grown up situation with it as well. It’s about knowing where the line is and what you're willing to put up with," he added.

Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.

Work/life balance is a tricky thing to master at the best of times, and Prince William has the added complication of doing it whilst having an incredibly high-profile, public-facing role. The future King touched on this in his highly-anticipated appearance in Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler when he was asked by Eugene Levy about his 'relatively normal' home life.

The Schitt’s Creek star suggested this started with Prince William and Princess Diana in childhood, and he confirmed this was "definitely" the case.

"I think it’s really important that that atmosphere is created at home, you have to have that feeling of warmth, security, love that all has to be there," he declared. "And that was certainly part of my childhood. My parents got divorced at 8, so that lasted a short period of time but you take that and you learn from it, and you try not to do the same mistakes as your parents. I think we all try to do that."

Like Kate, who launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 - and perhaps because of her work - William is all-too aware of how "drama and stress" can continue to affect you as an adult, years after the fact.

He said, "I just want to do what’s best for my children, but I know the drama and stress when you’re small really affects you when you’re older."

Prince William has already started to put his experience and learnings into practice with his three children and has made it extremely clear in recent years that his family is his priority.

He and the Princess of Wales are hands-on parents involved in school life and they typically take a step back during school holidays to spend time with George, Charlotte and Louis.

Asked by Eugene Levy if the responsibilities of being first in the royal line of succession equate to a 9-5, the Prince responded, "It doesn’t quite work like that. But I do try to stick to school timetables as much as possible, so most days we’re in and out of school doing drop offs and pick ups. Getting the balance of work and family life right is really important, because for me, the most important thing in my life is family."

With this in mind, he and Kate are determined to provide a "stable home" for their kids at Adelaide Cottage, and, in due course, at Forest Lodge.

"If you don't start the children off now with a happy, healthy, stable home, I feel you're setting them up for a bit of a hard time and a fall. So it’s about making sure we feel we can look after our family and our children in a way we feel is best for their future," he told Eugene.

And what a big future it is that lies ahead for them, especially Prince George! The twelve year old will be King one day and William and Kate have set some clear boundaries to protect him from excess pressure and scrutiny. He and his siblings are only actually seen in public a few times a year and outside of this they enjoy a lot of privacy in Berkshire, with plenty of family members living close by.

Whilst George is gradually being introduced to royal life, he still gets to be a kid at the end of the day, showing that William has recreated the "security" and "warmth" he experienced.

Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.

The Prince of Wales is apparently keen to bring Prince George, Charlotte and Louis up with a skill that he sadly lost over the years. He made the intriguing revelation during a visit to The Oasis Village earlier this month.

Prince William was there to hear more about the work of Spiral Skills. This Lambeth-based charity has received funding from the Royal Foundation's Homewards Fund to expand their community-led approach to tackling youth homelessness.

During his time there, he went to Symphony Studios where he saw first-hand the impact music has upon young people. As per Hello!, Prince William sadly admitted that he’s unable to read music, but it’s something he "make[s] sure" his kids can do.

"It's brilliant you guys have clearly done a lot of practising, well done, that's not easy doing that in front of everyone - that's brilliant," the Prince reportedly told the young musicians taking part in a workshop. "You've all got amazing rhythm and it sounds fantastic, I wish I started when I was your age. I couldn't read music so that was my biggest weakness."

Although he "started off playing piano, trumpet and the drums" he then "realised [he]I had to memorise every tune" as he couldn’t read the notes. Because of this, Prince William’s music-playing "just fell away".

"I make sure my children learn music because I love music and it's crucial, really important," the senior royal added, revealing he doesn’t want this to happen to George, Charlotte and Louis.

When asked if he wanted to have a go on the drums, Prince William politely declined, but confirmed that his youngest child is very much still playing this instrument.

He declared, "I'm definitely not a drummer. I'm happy to see you do it, if my youngest was here, he'd have a go, because he's practicing at the moment, but I'd love to hear you do it."

Earlier this year the Prince of Wales shared that Prince Louis was learning the drums, joking that it’s why he spends his "whole life" with his fingers in his ears. Meanwhile, Prince George is understood to be taking guitar lessons and Charlotte is following in their mum’s footsteps and is learning the piano.

The Princess of Wales spoke with pianist Lang Lang at the Royal Variety Performance in 2023 and, as per Hello!, talk turned to Charlotte.

"Her Royal Highness said to me that she said to Princess Charlotte 'Hey, look, if you practise a lot you can be like him'," the musician explained. "So I’m happy to be helpful a little bit. It's really funny, I was like, wow, I'm sure she will do well at the piano. I think she is practising."

Unlike her husband, the Princess of Wales does seem to be able to read music and has played the piano at two high-profile occasions in the past few years. The first of these was when she accompanied singer Tom Walker on his song For Those Who Can’t Be Here at her inaugural Together at Christmas carol service.

Kate also demonstrated her skills in a pre-recorded performance at the beginning of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. She’s clearly kept up her piano playing and will likely have a few music-reading tips for all three of her children to ensure they have this "crucial" skill.

The Wales children definitely aren’t lacking in the hobbies department and love everything from tennis to rugby, football and gymnastics. However, like all children, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis inevitably go through phases of being more obsessed with one activity over another.

Whether it’s Princess Charlotte’s interest in spiders during lockdown, or George being "obsessed" with the Air Cadets when he was two, we’ve heard some intriguing anecdotes from Prince William and Kate over the years. But it was Prince Louis’s turn to have an unexpected new hobby revealed by his mum during the US State Visit.

The Princess and First Lady Melania Trump met with members of the Scouts’ Squirrels programme and Chief Scout Dwayne Fields on 18th September. During the engagement Kate explained that Louis is seriously interested in conker collecting right now!

It doesn’t come much more autumnal than this as a hobby and he’s clearly been spending plenty of time outdoors to build up a collection. His mum and dad are big advocates for getting out in nature so this no doubt got their seal of approval.

What might not have been as appreciated, though, was the series of unusual places Prince Louis has been storing his conkers at Adelaide Cottage.

"We keep finding conkers in cupboards, in his bed - conkers everywhere!" Kate reportedly told Dwayne, as per Hello! magazine. She added that the seven-year-old royal has even taken to putting the conkers in his toy trucks and playing with them.

This is utterly adorable, even if the Prince and Princess of Wales keep unearthing conkers in unexpected places throughout their house. You might think this was actually quite useful this time of year, but the idea that conkers are a way to get rid of spiders is apparently a myth.

Princess Charlotte, a big spider fan, will likely be delighted to hear it. Thankfully, for the future King and Queen, they won’t need to be picking up conkers around their home for that much longer as they tend to have mostly fallen by October.

Prince Louis’s conker collecting days for 2025 are numbered, though he’ll likely still be spending plenty of time outside with his family over the coming months. In a video released in April, Kate shared that being in nature gives her a sense of "peace" and a "very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection".

It’s a big passion of hers and when she appeared on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020 the senior royal declared that her happy place was when she’s "with [her] family outside in the countryside and [they’re] all filthy dirty". In light of this, it’s possible that she’s even been joining Louis on some conker collecting trips at home.

The Prince has been keeping busy, as over the summer Prince William disclosed that he has been throwing himself into another hobby. According to Hello!, at the Tusk Conservation Awards last year he apparently told guests that Louis is now a keen drummer.

"My youngest is learning the drums - that's why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears," he joked.

Most of us will never meet the Princess of Wales in person, let alone attend the same school sports matches as her, but someone who has crossed paths with her has shared some charming insights. Panthea Parker is part of the cast for new reality series, The Real Housewives of London, and opened up to Hello! at the world premiere about what Kate’s really like.

"I see her quite a few times because my son’s school plays against her son’s school," Panthea claimed. "So they play rugby and football against each other so we’re always at her school or my school. I do see her a lot but not to talk to, just from afar."

Even though Panthea isn’t in the future Queen’s close circle and only sees her at school sporting events from a distance, Kate has made an incredible impression on the reality star.

Panthea described her as "so classy" and "so lovely", before confirming that the Princess of Wales "never misses any of her children’s matches". In her view - and likely many other people’s given everything Kate has on her plate - that achievement in itself makes her "really amazing".

The Real Housewives star revealed that she never misses a match either - quipping, "Otherwise how do I know that?"

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have all inherited their parents’ love of sports and Kate’s dedication to "never" missing a match is modelled on Michael and Carole Middleton’s example. Speaking on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020, the senior royal recalled her mum and dad making sacrifices to be there for her and her siblings.

She said, "I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun. I’m very lucky I come from a very strong family. My parents were hugely dedicated."

"I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us," the Princess added. "They came to every sports match, they’d be the ones on the side-line shouting, and we’d always have our family holidays together."

This dedication from Michael and Carole has clearly inspired their daughter’s approach to parenting. As well as apparently always being there for sports matches, Kate and Prince William pause engagements as much as possible during George, Charlotte and Louis’s school holidays.

They’re currently on their summer break, spending quality time together ahead of moving house from Adelaide Cottage before the end of the year. Of course, there are times when work and parenting duties clash and the Princess of Wales has been open about feeling "mum guilt".

She told Giovanna on her podcast that anyone who doesn’t feel it as a mother is "actually lying", continuing, "It's a constant challenge - you hear it time after time from mums, even mums who aren't necessarily working and aren't pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life."

However, Kate’s commitment to being there for her kids is steadfast. Messages shared by her on social media throughout the past year have made her appreciation for spending time with her loved ones very clear.

"This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved," she wrote alongside a video by Will Warr last September.

There was only one thing missing for royal fans from the Prince and Princess of Wales’s appearance at the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final - and that was Prince Louis. The seven-year-old’s cheeky antics are always a highlight of occasions like Trooping the Colour, but he’s still very young and he didn’t join his brother and sister at the tennis.

However, Prince William and Kate weren’t about to let their youngest child miss out on at least part of the Wimbledon experience. According to People, the couple ensured he got the same memento of the day as Prince George and Charlotte.

As anyone who watched the aftermath of Jannik Sinner’s victory will have seen, the Wales kids brought tennis balls when they got to meet him. They made sure that they brought one for Prince Louis too and the champion graciously signed all three.

"Thank you so much, that’s really kind," Kate told Jannik, before apparently adding, "We brought one for their brother as well."

He might not have been with them at the match, but Prince William revealed that Prince Louis "would be very upset" if they hadn't had a tennis ball signed for him too. The future King and Queen didn’t confirm why Louis didn’t attend, though I suspect it was due to his age.

Prince George first went to Wimbledon in 2022, a week before his 10th birthday, and Princess Charlotte was 8 when she made her debut in 2023. Those two are also known for having a particular love of tennis. So it might be another year at least until Prince Louis gets to go.

In the meantime, he will at least have his signed tennis ball to remember the 2025 tournament. Prince William and Kate’s choice to bring one for him shows how determined they are to treat their children equally and whilst this is very relatable for parents generally, given Prince George’s destiny as future King, this is especially notable.

Speaking previously to OK! former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond suggested that the couple are focused on making their younger children feel just as "valued" as George does.

"William and Kate must be acutely aware of the problems for a royal spare. They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I’m sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved and valued as George," she said.

Whilst age likely continues to be a factor in when and where Prince Louis makes appearances with his parents, we can already see their fair approach in Prince George and Charlotte’s public outings. When George attended Wimbledon in 2022 the family were reportedly asked why his sister wasn’t there to which Kate replied, "It’s George’s treat today".

This seems to suggest that they put thought into who gets what "treat" and when, and Charlotte later went on to attend the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with her parents in 2023. She also went to Wimbledon with Kate and Pippa Middleton last year, without her big brother.

When he is older, who knows what special outings Prince Louis could enjoy that align with his hobbies and interests.

The Wales and Sussex kids are all quite high up in the royal line of succession, but they live very different lives in so many ways. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have never gone on a royal visit or attended Trooping the Colour and their faces are rarely seen in any photographs or videos shared by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Their cousins also have a high level of privacy at Adelaide Cottage, though they do take part in certain royal events and appear in plenty of official pictures as they are gradually introduced to royal life. However, all six of them are keeping a royal tradition alive and it strikes me as particularly adorable - and meaningful.

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis and Prince Archie and Lilibet all call their fathers "Papa". It seems like such a small thing, however, it’s a sweet connection to the Royal Family, and I might have expected the Sussexes to use "Dad" instead.

After all, they’re living away from the royal bubble in California and Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan often refer to themselves as just "Harry and Meghan" in public. Meghan has even revealed her husband’s nickname "H" in interviews, whilst he is known to call her "Meg".

This all indicates quite a relaxed approach, so "Dad" might be the obvious choice if you had to guess what Archie and Lilibet call Prince Harry. "Papa" sounds a little more formal and the Duchess explained recently that this is the name they use.

During an appearance on Jamie Kern Lima’s podcast in April, she read out a letter written by her children with a little help from the Prince.

"From Archie and Lili via Papa. We love your cooking. We love your pancakes and we love, love, love your hugs. You're the best mummy and we love you," she said, as per the Evening Standard.

So it seems they do call their father "Papa" and Meghan also remarked on how much she loved that they said "mummy, instead of mommy", noting it’s "very British". "Papa" also sounds quite British, especially given that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis use it too.

In the Wales family’s 2025 Father’s Day photos taken by Josh Shinner the caption referred to the Prince of Wales in this way, stating, "Happy Father’s Day, Papa (before and after!) We love you! G, C & L".

In the past, they’ve also shared glimpses of Father’s Day cards addressed to him as "Papa", showing this isn’t a recent thing at all. It’s adorable that the cousins have this in common but this takes on even more significance as it’s continuing a long-standing royal custom.

Prince William and Harry call King Charles "Pa", which appears to be a shortening of this and King Charles himself called the late Prince Philip "Papa". Meanwhile, in a letter written to her parents describing their coronation, Queen Elizabeth II is said to have addressed the Queen Mother and King George VI as "Mummy and Papa".

"Dad" might be more common nowadays, but for the royals "Papa" has never gone out of favour and the Wales and Sussex cousins are keeping it alive as a tradition.

Prince Louis had plenty of fun at Trooping the Colour over the weekend, delighting crowds with his usual cheeky antics, but it’s been revealed he had to be firmly kept in check - not once, but twice.

For the annual parade celebrating the monarch’s official birthday, King Charles’s grandson, Louis, was all smiles as he copied his grandfather’s regal wave and had the crowds outside Buckingham Palace cheering him on.

The always-excitable Louis might have seemed quieter than past appearances – apart from some playful behaviour with his great-aunt Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh – but it’s been revealed that Louis had to be kept in check by his mum and his older brother.

A lip reader has reportedly revealed the strict command given to the youngster by his mum, Catherine, Princess of Wales, as they gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

After watching the Red Arrows fly-past, Louis might have temporarily been too excited to remember protocol. After the impressive display ended and the band started playing the national anthem, it appeared that Kate had to quickly and firmly remind the young prince of the proper protocol.

According to Cambridge Live, lip reader Jeremy Freeman has alleged that the future Queen said, “National anthem, Louis stand.”

It is customary for all royals who are less senior than King Charles - even the young children - as well as members of the public, to stand during the anthem.

"As the youngest of the Wales children it's a particularly long day for Prince Louis and his spirited personality means that he does occasionally have to be prompted by his siblings or parents," says woman&home Royal Editor, Emma Shacklock.

She adds, "I'm not surprised by the Princess's reported remark - she knows how to gently encourage Louis to follow protocol without making a big deal about it. She's showing him the ropes."

The lip reader also picked up on a conversation between Charles and William, with the father and son both apparently impressed by the turnout of the day. William reportedly said to his father, “Oh my word, what a day” to which His Majesty replied, “Great theatre.”

Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the Princess of Wales who had to keep Louis in check on the day. Before Kate’s reminder, Prince George also had to step in to remind Louis of the protocol of the day.

As the royals first appeared on the balcony, Louis was a little too eager and started to wave before the rest of his family. Quickly noticing, George gave his youngest sibling a quick nudge on the other arm to signal that he should stop waving.

It was once again a streamlined selection of royals on the balcony this year – with King Charles and Queen Camilla joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has been dubbed the “fun aunt” by royal fans after a moment of playful behaviour with Prince Louis during Trooping the Colour.

As has become normal for any major royal event where Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children will be in attendance, fans were eager to see what antics their youngest would get up to.

From poking fun at his older brother Prince George, to playing with the crowds, Louis always puts on quite the show. And the royal parade yesterday was no exception.

Louis delighted fans as he mimicked his grandfather, King Charles, waving to the crowds. Every time Louis waved, the crowd cheered, which he was visibly delighted by. So much so Prince George had to go full big brother and nudge his little brother to stop.

But it was a moment between the young Prince and Duchess Sophie that really warmed our hearts. The pair were pictured having some cheeky fun, with Prince Louis pulling a funny face at his great aunt. While Sophie's faced is obscured, we can imagine her joining in with his playful moment.

Will Louis eventually grow out of this and start acting more serious like George? Time will tell (but we really hope not).

While Louis was still playful at Trooping the Colour, he was already showing a calmer side – lest we forget him having to be told off by Kate Middleton and Mike Tindall at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee. And his good behaviour might have to do with Duchess Sophie.

Sophie’s close relationship with Princess Charlotte is already well known, and it’s rumoured the Duchess stepped in to help with the Wales children as the Princess of Wales faced her cancer treatment.

Sophie is the children’s great-aunt, but it’s clear she enjoys a close relationship with them – and that they adore her.

She still has time to have fun with her own, grown up nephew, too. William and Sophie enjoyed a rare joint appearance earlier in the month, visiting the Royal Cornwall Show, where the pair enjoyed a couple of sneaky shots together. She truly is the fun aunt!

The Trooping the Colour parade is held every June to mark the monarch’s official birthday – but even though it was King Charles’ big day, it was Prince Louis who, once again, was the real crowd pleaser.

Joining his family - including his mum and sister who had a matching moment in shades of turquoise - Louis was all smiles as he rode in a carriage with his siblings and excitedly watched the Red Arrows flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Louis, the youngest child of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, is no stranger to stealing the show at these events, whether it’s being a little naughty at the Platinum Jubilee concert or most recently teasing his older brother at the VE Day celebrations.

The seven-year-old was met with roaring cheers from fans outside Buckingham Palace as he adorably copied his grandfather’s regal wave.

Louis even made sure to give the crowd exactly what they were after, as he couldn’t resist sneaking in one last wave even after his family had turned to go back inside the palace.

Earlier on in the day, Louis had fans in hysterics thanks to his toothy grin, when he seemed to be cracking up his older brother in the carriage procession.

A lip reader for The Sun reportedly captured the sweet moment between the brothers, and suggests Louis was egging on his brother to share a moment.

Louis was seen turning to his brother to ask, "Should I wave?"

"It's up to you,” George reportedly replied, before – in true British nature – added, “I can't believe how sunny it is.”

An excited Louis apparently then told his brother, “Let's do it together.”

Back on the balcony, the King and Queen Camilla were clearly enjoying the high-spirited nature of the day and were seen smiling and pointing along with their grandson.

Louis and Charles’ adorable relationship is well known, with Louis eager to sit on his grandfather’s knee during the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Previously, during a 2018 interview for Prince, Son & Heir – Charles at 70, Queen Camilla shared how, despite his title, Charles is just like any other doting grandfather. She said of how he acts with her own grandchildren, "He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing and my Grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him."

The Prince and Princess of Wales have raised some very active children, with all three of their youngsters finding joy in various hobbies.

Over the years, we've learnt about Prince George's unusually mature hobby and Princess Charlotte's love for dancing and gymnastics. And it seems that Prince Louis has found his calling in a musical pastime - but it's left Prince William living with 'his fingers in his ears'.

During an appearance at the 2024 Tusk Conservation Awards in London, HELLO! reports that William told guests, "My youngest is learning the drums – that's why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears."

Arguably one of the loudest instruments you could pick up, it's no surprise that Louis, who sits fourth in the royal line of succession and has delighted royal fans with his loud, bubbly personality during public appearances, has picked up the expressive instrument.

While Prince William jokingly complained about the noise caused by Louis' latest hobby, he might actually be the one to blame for his interest in the drums.

Last year, during an appearance on the Apple Fitness+ podcast Time to Walk, William revealed that he's a massive fan of the Australian rock band AC/DC, especially their 'head-banging' song Thunderstuck, admitting that blaring it is his favourite way to start the week.

"There's nothing better than, on a Monday morning, when you're a bit bleary-eyed after the weekend and trying to get yourself back into the grind of the week, listening to AC/DC - Thunderstruck," he said.

"It absolutely wakes you up, puts your week in the best mood possible, and you feel like you can take on anything and anyone," he added.

"I’d imagine you’re going to walk quite fast listening to it, maybe with a skip in your step, with the head-banging. It’s a difficult song not to dance to or to nod along to."

What are most parents doing on a Monday morning? The school run! With George, Charlotte, and Louis in the car as he blasts out that song, who can blame Louis for being inspired and wanting to take up the drums?

When he's not playing the drums, Louis is out on the rugby pitch. Prince George enjoys the sport, too, as the Princess of Wales revealed when she and Prince William attended the Six Nations match between England and Wales earlier this year.

"At weekends we go from one competition to the next," William said when speaking with injured players, according to Hello! .

Kate added, "Louis is six and he's just started touch rugby, and George is 11 and he plays a bit more. They do really enjoy it."

Each year we only see Prince George, Charlotte and Louis out in public a handful of times, making every anecdote and insight about them even more intriguing. The latest titbit was revealed by Prince William during a visit to the Duchy of Cornwall.

He became Duke of Cornwall after rising to first in the royal line of succession when King Charles ascended the throne in 2022, and he tries to visit part of the vast Duchy once every four to six weeks. These trips are usually private, but Kensington Palace gave permission for The Telegraph to join him for a "Duchy Day" in May.

According to the publication, the future King was given a bottle of home-grown apple juice to take home after visiting an orchard. This is a delicious gift - and one he apparently joked he’d "have to drink before" his children could "get their hands on it".

Prince George is particularly fond of apple juice and the Princess of Wales has supposedly described him as "obsessed" with one couple’s homemade batches. Speaking to Express.co.uk in 2023, radio host Roman Kemp claimed that his mum Shirlie gave the Princess a "crate" of their apple juice when she visited their home.

Kate and Roman teamed up to create a short film about mental well-being and the gift seemingly went down a storm at Adelaide Cottage.

"My mum and dad have this lovely house that they have been working on and there is a big apple tree and they have started making their own apple juice from it," he said. "My mum gave [the Princess of Wales] a crate of this apple juice that they made and she obviously took it home."

Roman added, "The next time I saw her she was like, 'Oh my God! Please can you say thank you to your mum and we need some more of that apple juice because George is obsessed with it. He keeps saying, ‘Mum, I want the apple juice.’"

Shirlie was reportedly more than happy to help the Prince out, with Roman alleging that she and the Princess and "have been trading" it. Now, two years later, Prince William’s joke seems to suggest that George isn’t the only huge apple juice fan in the Wales family.

Although the Prince’s comment was very light-hearted, it hints that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis would all be quick to finish his present if they had the chance.

They are currently enjoying the last few days of their half-term break and both the Prince and Princess of Wales traditionally pause engagements during school holidays so they can spend as much time with their children as possible.

The Prince of Wales’s "Duchy Day" visit reportedly took place in the "middle of May", as per The Telegraph, and he’s determined to be a "positive force for good" and "make people’s lives better". He wants to be "more" than the "traditional landowner".

“The core part of the Duchy works on its people... what it stands for,” he declared. “The key point of the Duchy for me is about social impact. People, places and planet, those are the key things we’re working on.”

Much has been made about the implications of being a 'spare' in the Royal Family - and Prince Harry's explosive memoir made everyone aware of the concept.

Harry, of course, isn't the only 'spare' - a family member who isn't poised to be a direct heir to the throne in the line of succession.

From Princess Anne to now Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, there are plenty. And it doesn't have to be seen as a negative. Something two dedicated royals are setting an example for Charlotte and Louis to follow, according to a royal expert.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were two senior royal family members who stepped up and stepped in after the Royal Family's tough year in 2024, with Kate Middleton and King Charles both battling highly publicized illnesses.

And although they have been working royals since 2002, the BBC’s former royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, believes that the couple are finally getting the "recognition" they deserve, stepping up to the plate when they were needed more than ever before.

According to Jennie, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie proving themselves and taking on more duties also helped set an example on how to flourish as a "spare", something that could influence their great-niece and nephew, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Speaking to OK!, Jennie stated that the Edinburghs "thoroughly deserve the recognition they are now getting... They have always been quietly devoted to their various causes, but their work has been overshadowed by other royals," she continued. "I suppose every cloud has a silver lining… and as the King calls on them to take a more prominent role, Edward and Sophie are showing they are very much up to the task."

Jennie then reflected that the couple are "serving as excellent role models to their great nephew [ ] and niece" as they are "showing that you can be a 'spare' or even a 'spare to the spare' and make a real success of working as a valued member of the Royal Family".

Not only will the Duke and Duchess be a good example, it's been rumored that Sophie enjoys a great bond with Charlotte, and they offered a rare glimpse into their dynamic during the 2025 VE Day celebrations.

The Duchess no doubt stepped in to help with Princess Charlotte and her brothers after Kate completed her cancer treatment in 2024.

Sophie being an asset to the family has other benefits, according to another royal expert.

Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl has previously claimed in her book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown, as per Express.co.uk, that the Princess of Wales is "said to admire" Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie’s approach with their own children. She apparently appreciates how they're raising Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex "in the bosom of the Royal Family but prepared for life in the real world."

Whether or not Princess Charlotte and Louis go on to become senior working royals or pursue separate careers, it seems Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie and their family are setting an example of "success" that could inspire them.

The young royal, who recently turned seven, joined his family for a procession to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on 4th May. He sat between his big brother Prince George and Prince William, and watched attentively as the procession made its way towards Buckingham Palace.

However, Prince Louis’ cheeky personality also shone through in certain moments, including when he seemed to mimic George fixing his hair. The exaggerated gesture was caught on camera and it wasn’t the only detail I noticed in photos from the day.

At one point, Prince Louis was pictured holding on tightly to a fluffy hot water bottle. Another snap showed the Prince of Wales either placing this practical item behind his youngest son or taking it out from the back of his chair.

Despite it now being May, we all know that the UK’s weather often doesn’t want to play ball and the procession took place under a grey sky. It makes total sense for Prince Louis to have a hot water bottle to keep him cosy, though I was surprised to spot it.

The late Queen Elizabeth apparently always travelled with a hot water bottle and it’s possible that other royals have hot water bottles on their seats for outdoor events in the cold. However, if they do, they’re very discreet.

Prince Louis adorably holding on to his hot water bottle is the first time I can remember noticing one during an official occasion. Prince William and Kate are clearly very conscious of their children’s comfort when they’re making royal appearances like this.

He might be the King’s grandson, but Louis is still only seven years old and it was a busy day for him, with the procession and then the RAF flypast that the royals watched from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

There’s another one coming up next month too - as I would expect Prince Louis and his siblings to attend Trooping the Colour on 14th June like they’ve done so many times before. With any luck, the Wales kids won’t be needing a hot water bottle then!

Prince Louis seems to be growing more used to high-profile royal appearances and he was apparently eager to keep his dad’s military uniform looking immaculate for the occasion.

The youngster was photographed reportedly brushing tree pollen from Prince William’s shoulder at one point in yet another cute moment.

The Prince of Wales is also understood to have been explaining certain details to his son during the procession. He and Kate are gradually introducing all three of their children to public life, but in a way that works for them and their wellbeing.

We rarely see Prince George, Charlotte and Louis out together and the two younger siblings didn’t attend the VE tea party hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Buckingham Palace later in the day.

Only George was there with Prince William and Kate, whilst Charlotte and Louis enjoyed the rest of the bank holiday out of the public eye.

With so much going on to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day - marking the end of the Second World War - leave it to Prince Louis to steal the show with a hilarious moment.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte (fresh from her 10th birthday celebrations) and Prince Louis joined their family - including parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales and grandfather, King Charles - in the royal box as they took in the poignant procession made up of 1,300 members of the armed forces and NATO allies.

Shaking hands with veterans and excitedly taking in the spectacle, the children were on their best behaviour. But one moment caught between Princes George and Louis has cracked royal fans up.

The cheeky seven-year-old was caught seemingly poking fun at his older brother, copying his movements when it comes to fixing his hair.

George, 11, with his hair combed back, ran his fingers through his hair to keep the combed over style looking sharp. However, after Louis spotted George doing the gesture, he decided to recreate it - with an added flair for comedic effect.

The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales has become known for his scene-stealing moments and adorable antics, from pulling faces at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee to being overcome with excitement watching previous flypasts from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Fans on social media were quick to spot this latest hilarious moment between the brothers.

One Twitter/X user, Canellelabelle, shared a video of the exchange and wrote, “Look at him mimicking Prince George and adding some Snazz to it… He truly is the moment."

Another, alexr_241, said, "Obsessed with Prince Louis mocking Prince George. Top younger brother energy."

It was just the beginning of a series of VE Day celebrations for the Royal Family, who will also take part in a special Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, May 8.

They might be the King’s grandchildren but according to a former royal nanny, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are incredibly "grounded" and this really becomes clear in the evenings.

Opening up to The Sun, Caroline Redgrave, who is understood to have worked for the future King and Queen when their children were younger, has claimed that this time of day was when they were "most relaxed".

"You get to know them in those quiet evening hours. That’s when they’re most relaxed. And it’s also when you see how grounded they really are; polite, playful and full of personality," she alleged. "We always kept to a familiar structure of a warm bath, quiet play, stories and then bed."

Caroline went on to suggest that this night-time routine remained the same "no matter what had gone on in the day". When you consider that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have been making public appearances since babyhood, this becomes even more remarkable.

Keeping to a clear routine that was reportedly "designed to help them unwind slowly" might well help to make them feel "grounded" amidst all the scrutiny they face as young royals. The former nanny added that screen time was a no-go for the evenings.

Instead, the routine was "about slowing everything down" and creating a tranquil environment before they went to sleep. Caroline, who is now a private childcare consultant, revealed to the publication that bedtime was "beautifully ordinary" in the Wales household.

"There were cuddles, books, the occasional giggle fit," she claimed. "It was beautifully ordinary. People imagine strict formality, but the truth is, it was warm, loving, and very normal."

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have grown up a lot since then and the routine has likely evolved as a result. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if many elements of their "normal" night-time routine have stuck around and are upheld at Adelaide Cottage.

We know that books have remained a key part of the Wales family’s evening ritual over the years. In 2020 during a visit to Mumbles, Prince William spotted someone holding a copy of Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom and excitedly shared it was a popular choice in his house.

"I read this to our children all the time," he exclaimed, as per the Daily Mail, before adding that he’d met Julia when she received her CBE for services to literature.

He continued, "I said, "do you realise how many parents you have saved at bed time?". David Walliams also does good books for children - for a little bit older children I think. I've read one and it was really, really good."

The Princess of Wales has another book that she, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis love too. In 2023 she visited Sebby’s Corner and reportedly donated 50 copies of The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark to the charity, which supports families in need in London and Hertfordshire.

Bianca Sakol, the founder and CEO of Sebby’s Corner told People that this was "so lovely" and that this was a book "she said she enjoyed reading with her children".

The future Queen also read this Wales family favourite book as her CBeebies Bedtime Story to mark Children's Mental Health Week in 2022.

We might not have seen the Wales family at Windsor Castle for Easter but during their family break they captured a gorgeous birthday photo and video for Prince Louis. He turned 7 on 23rd April and we’ve been treated to a particularly adorable picture and behind-the-scenes clips to mark the occasion.

Taken amidst a sea of bluebells, Prince Louis can be seen sitting on a tree stump in the spring sunshine in the photo. This time it wasn’t Kate behind the camera, but photographer Josh Shinner, who also took their family Christmas card photo in 2023.

Prince Louis was dressed smartly in indigo jeans, a checked shirt and a khaki jumper and his smile showed he’s reached a milestone and lost his two front teeth since we last saw him at Christmas.

Later on in the day, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a heartfelt video seemingly shot at the time the picture was taken. It showed Prince Louis in the woods and at one point we heard a rare clip of the 7-year-old's voice as he declared he could jump down from a fallen log.

As soon as we glimpsed Prince Louis’ seventh birthday photo and video we all found ourselves saying the same thing - how much he’s grown! Even in the last few months the King’s grandson has got so much taller and appears very grown up all of a sudden.

Perhaps because he’s not appeared in public in 2025, this feeling is amplified, and we weren’t the only ones to notice. Many fans took to the comments of his picture to wish him a happy birthday and also remarked upon how he’s "grown up quite fast" and "what a difference a year makes".

This new birthday posts also had us reminiscing about Princess Charlotte’s seventh birthday photos from 2022. In many ways, they were quite similar to her younger brother’s, as she was also sitting outdoors surrounded by bluebells.

The Princess was missing several baby teeth too and the same was true of Prince George in his seventh birthday pictures. Each of these was taken by Kate and were a little more casual, with the future King wearing a T-shirt and short sleeved polo respectively.

Since Prince George turned 7 in 2020 the Prince and Princess of Wales have really found a certain style they love for the children’s birthday snaps. They prefer them to be taken out in nature where Prince George, Charlotte and Louis feel at home and relaxed.

The natural world has been a huge focus for the Princess of Wales in particular this year and she switched up her traditional Mother’s Day family-centric post and shared a video highlighting Mother Nature instead back in March.

A month earlier the future Queen unveiled a picture of herself in frosty woodland taken by Prince Louis to mark World Cancer Day 2025. In her caption she offered the valuable reminder to not forget "all that which lies beyond the disease".

She recently described the sense of "peace" she feels when she’s in the great outdoors and given how relaxed Prince Louis looked in his birthday photo, this seems to be the case for him too.

Being officially photographed at such a young age could be daunting, so choosing somewhere calming and beautiful probably helped to put him at ease.

The next time we anticipate Prince Louis making a public appearance will be Trooping the Colour 2025, when he might well have grown even taller. Ahead of this, we can look forward to Princess Charlotte’s first official photo of the year when she turns 10 in May.

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis apparently found the Princess of Wales’s discovery near Anmer Hall absolutely "fascinating".

The Princess of Wales can seemingly turn her hand to almost anything, from tennis to piano playing and drawing. Over the years we’ve seen her showcase so many skills but she’s still adding new ones to her repertoire alongside her royal role and being a hands-on mum to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis. Although the Wales family are based at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor during term time, their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk holds a special place in their hearts and Kate recently revealed the discovery she made nearby that was "fascinating" to her kids.

According to Hello!, the Princess of Wales reportedly explained to a group of volunteers at Meadow Street Community Garden and Woodland that she’s learning to forage as a new hobby. She visited the garden in Pontypridd with Prince William on 26th February and shared that she found a "huge" puffball mushroom near Anmer Hall.

"The children thought it was fascinating," Kate apparently added during the visit, which saw her learn more about how the volunteers worked to restore the garden in the wake of Storm Bert and Storm Darragh’s devastation last year.

Foraging isn’t restricted to mushrooms and the Princess of Wales could end up being able to safely identify and enjoy plenty of edible goodies from the Norfolk countryside, from nuts to seeds and other plants. Wild garlic foraging season is also now in full swing and given how intrigued Prince George, Charlotte and Louis were about her mushroom finding efforts already, it’s possible that they could join her for a family foraging trip sometime.

Foraging is a Royal Family favourite hobby already as both King Charles and Queen Camilla are avid mushroom foragers. Writing in his book Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III, Tom Parker Bowles described wild mushrooms as an "obsession" for his mother and stepfather who are "deeply competitive about their hauls".

"They’re both very keen mycologists, and both know their mushrooms very, very well. This time of year, depending on rain, there’s ceps and chanterelles… I go with my mother and there’s a lot of fantastic mushrooming in Scotland. It’s a shared pleasure," Tom said, as per The Independent.

His Majesty is understood to have set out on a solo mushroom foraging trip in August 2011, so if Kate needs any extra tips she has the perfect person to turn to. Whether or not she’ll bring her children along at some point, Kate and Prince William prioritise spending time outdoors with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis and the young royals love it.

Speaking on the 2020 ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All, the future King declared, "Seeing my children, seeing the passion in their eyes and the love for being outdoors… They find a bug or they love watching how bees are forming the honey. George particularly, if he's not outdoors he's quite like a caged animal. He needs to get outside."

The Princess of Wales keeps bees at Anmer Hall and it was near her Windsor home that Prince Louis took a special photo of his mum out in nature released to mark World Cancer Day 2025.

Prince William reportedly revealed a surprising wish for Princess Charlotte and Louis at a recent engagement as Prince George follows in his footsteps.

The Prince and Princess of Wales enjoyed their quiet Christmas break in Norfolk but after returning to Adelaide Cottage the couple have already resumed royal duties for 2025. Kate’s first engagement of 2025 was incredibly poignant as she visited The Royal Marsden hospital, where she underwent cancer treatment last year. Whilst Prince William attended the inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference as Patron of College of Paramedics on 15th January. The future King also undertook another, rather surprising visit before returning home from Birmingham as he joined a group of fellow football fans for a drink.

Prince William has been an avid supporter of Birmingham-based Aston Villa Football Club since childhood and he delightedly talked all things Villa in a local Wetherspoons pub. However, his children weren’t far from his mind and the royal shared his wish for Princess Charlotte and Louis that we didn’t see coming.

According to Hello!, Prince William apparently revealed to another Aston Villa fan, Steve Jones, that he doesn’t actually want all three of his and Kate’s children to support his favourite team.

"It was 95 per cent chat about Villa as that's our shared interest but a bit about his family," Steve claimed. "Young George is a Villa fan but he didn't want all three [children] to be Villa fans. He was massively interested and seemed like a really genuine guy and all he wanted to do was talk about Villa."

One thing we didn’t expect to hear this year is that Prince William doesn’t want Princess Charlotte and Louis to follow in his and Prince George’s Aston Villa-supporting footsteps. As Steve mentioned, Prince George is definitely a fan of Aston Villa and has joined his dad at matches before.

The two were pictured cheering the team on last April, with the young royal wearing the maroon and blue scarf of Aston Villa around his neck. Given how much they look to enjoy their father-son football matches it’s very intriguing that the Prince of Wales doesn’t seemingly want Charlotte and Louis to both support the same team.

Perhaps it is because the future King doesn’t want to show too much favouritism and wants his children to make their own choice about who to support, especially since counting a royal amongst your fans is likely to be very exciting for a club. Or possibly he just enjoys a bit of friendly rivalry…This is something he and Kate already have when it comes to rugby and Prince George is already in the middle of that.

The Princess of Wales became the Patron of the Rugby Football Union, England’s rugby union governing body, in 2022 and Prince William is the Patron of Welsh Rugby. The couple took Prince George to watch England vs Wales in the Six Nations that year and he was asked which side he was supporting.

As per The Telegraph, he shrugged in response and Prince William laughed and responded, gesturing at Kate, "It’s become quite the thing in the house. She is quite into it, I’m trying to stay out of it."

Despite not wanting to get too involved, Prince William was good-humoured about it and it’s likely that as a future Prince of Wales, Prince George will one day support Wales too. Perhaps Prince William will also want Charlotte and Louis to support a different rugby team to mix things up within the family.

The Princess of Wales is facing a "looming responsibility" and according to a royal expert she could be making sure George, Charlotte and Louis can "deal" with it too.

Navigating the balance of public and family life can’t be easy for the Prince and Princess of Wales, but with their royal roles set to change one day it’s possible this could become even more challenging. Although it’s Prince William and Kate who will bear the responsibility and duties that come with being King and Queen in the future, this will also have an impact upon Prince George, Charlotte and Louis too. The family currently lives at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor treading a considered line between maintaining the children’s privacy and public appearances.

However, royal expert and author of My Mother and I, Ingrid Seward, believes that Kate is well aware of what lies ahead. In her view, she "needs to make sure" that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis can "deal" with the extra pressure and scrutiny that being Queen will bring in its wake.

Speaking to Hello!, she claimed, "Kate knows there is a looming, massive responsibility coming, but she can't do anything about that, so she just needs to make sure that the family she's bringing up are able to deal with it."

The royal expert went on to suggest that despite knowing she must rise to the "responsibility" of being Queen one day, the Princess of Wales might also be eager to put her family first when she can after all she's been through recently. In September Kate shared a heartfelt message and video by Will Warr confirming that she had "completed" her cancer treatment after revealing her diagnosis in March.

"It must have been very difficult for her to deal with her family and her illness at the same time, and she obviously realises that the children have been through a hard time too," Ingrid stated. "I think the illness has made her keen to prioritise her family even more, because they are the future. Obviously, she wants to support her husband and the monarchy, but she's going to make sure that she does it in such a way that it doesn't take her away from the family too much."

"It must have been very difficult for her to deal with her family and her illness at the same time, and she obviously realises that the children have been through a hard time too," Ingrid stated. "I think the illness has made her keen to prioritise her family even more, because they are the future. Obviously, she wants to support her husband and the monarchy, but she's going to make sure that she does it in such a way that it doesn't take her away from the family too much."

As parents Prince William and Kate are both understood to be very hands-on, doing school pick ups and drop-offs and encouraging their children’s hobbies. Whilst it isn’t always possible since they’ve become Prince and Princess of Wales, the couple also try to keep their diaries free from engagements during Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s school holidays so they can spend as much time together as a family as they can.

Maintaining this sense of normality for them despite their royal titles might stand them in good stead when it comes to handling the impact of the "looming responsibility" Prince William and Kate will have one day. The Wales family’s most recent public appearance was on Christmas Day and George, Charlotte and Louis have now returned to school.

However, they will surely be looking forward to celebrating Kate’s 43rd birthday in some way on 9th January. Precious moments with her loved ones are something which, as Ingrid stated, the mum-of-three does seem to be focusing on even more than ever now and the Princess remarked upon this herself in her message back in September.

"This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved," she declared.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared their 2024 Christmas card photo a little later this year and it features them, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis around one of the most significant moments of the entire year.

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the Prince and Princess of Wales’s annual festive card which always features a special snap of the family. Over the years we’ve seen Prince William, Kate, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis beaming during a sunny holiday in Jordan in 2021, and sitting happily in front of an autumnal log pile at Anmer Hall in 2020. The future King and Queen usually share their Christmas card photo on social media in early to mid December, but this year they waited a little longer.

Their 2024 Christmas card picture is a still from the heart-warming video by Will Warr that was released alongside Kate’s announcement that she had completed her cancer treatment. The picture shows her, Prince William, George Charlotte and Louis with their arms round each other in Norfolk.

In a perhaps unintentional nod to their 2020 Christmas photo, this one shows them all sitting on a pile of logs in the picturesque countryside on a sunshine-filled day. At first glance this picture is already an adorable snapshot of a special day spent together during Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s school holidays. However, Kate and Prince William’s choice of this particular photo is particularly significant given the pivotal moment this represents.

Although they could have decided to have a new picture taken or gone for one from a different time, the Prince and Princess of Wales chose this still from the video which publicly confirmed to the world that Kate had completed her treatment. This was such a meaningful video reflecting upon a hugely important moment in her life after all she’d gone through so far in 2024.

In her message, the Princess of Wales expressed "relief" at completing chemotherapy and spoke of how her perspective upon life has evolved.

"With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything," she said. "This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved."

Kate and Prince William’s Christmas card for 2024 captures this renewed focus on love and simplicity perfectly. It shines a light on their close family bond during a family day out in nature. This picture is also more candid than we traditionally see from the more official, posed royal Christmas cards and exudes warmth and happiness.

Giving it an extra special feel was the animation they added this year - something that we’ve not seen from the Wales’s Christmas card photo post before. For 2024 the family’s card was pictured displayed on a wooden table in front of a Christmas tree with animated snow falling gently downwards and giving it an even more festive and magical feel.

According to the BBC, the Wales family are already in Norfolk ahead of them spending Christmas Day with the royals at Sandringham House. This will likely be the next time Prince William, Kate, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are seen in public, although we can’t help hoping they might release another special photo on Christmas Day too like they did last year.

Prince Louis is said to have kept an adorable secret from his big sister Princess Charlotte for weeks despite “bursting” to tell her.

Over the past four years the Royal Family’s Christmas season has in many ways truly begun with the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas carol service. This year’s service was filmed on 6th December and the Prince and Princess of Wales were accompanied by their three children to this heart-warming event. Six-year-old Prince Louis joined his siblings and parents for the first time in 2023 and the excitement was likely just as high this December thanks to a secret he apparently kept from Princess Charlotte as an amazing surprise.

According to the Daily Mail, when Kate arrived ahead of the service she spoke with guests and performers, including Paloma Faith, to whom she revealed this sweet anecdote and how her son was “bursting” to tell.

The future Queen was reportedly heard talking about the ballet dancers who performed at Together at Christmas and explained that Louis had found out about them weeks earlier, but that she’d urged him not to say anything to his sister.

She supposedly asked Prince Louis, “Can you keep a secret otherwise it won't be a surprise for Charlotte, who loves her ballet dancing”, before adding, “He has kept the secret for, what, nearly two weeks now.”

After Paloma described this as being “very challenging” for the young royal, Kate said, “For a six-year-old. And then this morning he said, ‘Mummy, please can I tell her - I'm bursting.’ I did drop off and he really wanted to tell her. I think - hopefully - he's kept it.”

Fans will have to wait until Christmas Eve to be able to tune in and see the soloists from the Royal Ballet perform during Together at Christmas, but it sounds like a magical moment in the service and one Princess Charlotte no doubt loved. As her proud mum told singer Paloma, Princess Charlotte is known to be a huge fan of ballet and if Prince Louis’s adorable secret was kept right up to the last moment like Kate believed, it would have been a wonderful surprise.

The two siblings have an incredibly close bond and Princess Charlotte’s love of dancing is something that seems to have been inspiring her younger brother too. Back in 2021 Prince William opened up about his daughter dancing in their kitchen being followed by Louis on an episode of Apple Fitness +’s Time to Walk podcast.

"Charlotte, particularly, is running around the kitchen in her dresses and ballet stuff and everything," he shared. "She goes completely crazy with Louis following her around trying to do the same thing. It's a really happy moment where the children just enjoy dancing, messing around, and, and singing."

The Princess of Wales also previously took her younger children to the set of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. Head Judge Shirley Ballas claimed to The Sun that the siblings had an “absolute ball” and that Prince Louis had requested a little paper crown like the one they gave Princess Charlotte after initially giving him sweets.

It seems that Prince Louis idolises Princess Charlotte and wants to be just like her - so it’s so heart-warming to think that the six-year-old kept the Together at Christmas secret to give her a dance-focused surprise.

Prince Louis’s tribute to Carole Middleton at the Together at Christmas carol service this year was subtle but so sweet to see.

Whenever Prince Louis joins his parents at a royal occasion fans can always expect to see some special moments from the six-year-old. Over the years he’s delighted us with cheeky and cute antics at Trooping the Colour and last year at the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas carol service he was pictured hilariously blowing out Princess Charlotte’s candle. This year’s service was held on 6th December and Prince Louis appeared to pay special tribute to Carole and Michael Middleton with a hand-written note. Ahead of the service he, Prince George and Princess Charlotte placed personal notes on a beautiful Christmas tree, the Kindness Tree, outside Westminster Abbey and viewed the other messages hanging there.

Pictures taken at this heart-warming occasion show that Prince Louis’s message expressed gratitude to his grandparents, stating, "Thank you for Granny and Grandpa because they have played games with me".

The young royal didn’t specify which "Granny and Grandpa" he was referring to but it seems likely that the note was honouring Kate’s parents. It’s previously been suggested that King Charles was known as Grandpa Wales to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis after his former title of Prince of Wales. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla once apparently revealed that her grandchildren - possibly including the Wales kids - call her "Gaga".

Carole and Michael Middleton are also known to play card games with their grandchildren and this family activity was featured in the sweet video taken by Will Warr that was released in September alongside the Princess of Wales’s message confirming she had completed her cancer treatment. In a brief moment towards the end of the video she, Prince William, their children and Carole and Michael can be seen sitting around a kitchen table playing cards.

This was such a special private moment to share with fans across the world and if Prince Louis’s message was a tribute to Carole and Michael, it shows just how much times like this mean to him. The Kindness Tree allowed guests at this year’s Together at Christmas service to dedicate a decoration to someone who has supported them and the Middletons, who live close to Prince William and Kate’s Adelaide Cottage home, have likely been a huge source of support and comfort to them all during this challenging year.

The 2024 carol service was the first time Carole and Michael have attended the same public event as their royal grandchildren since King Charles’s coronation. The Wales family are expected to celebrate Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk with the Royal Family once again this December, but they’ll no doubt also spend time with the Middletons during the festive season too.

In the past Carole has saved a special part of the Christmas decorating for her grandkids to do and it’s possible that she’s done the same this year in the run-up to the big day. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2018, the Princess of Wales’s mum revealed that she tends to have several Christmas trees, including a themed one, a "memory" one with sentimental baubles and one the children can decorate however they like.

Traditions like this help to make December so special and Prince George, Charlotte and Louis will likely be looking forward to the start of their school holidays and all the excitement of the Christmas period.

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis could be likely to receive a special festive privilege so they can enjoy their mum Kate’s big moment.

The festive season is all about spending time with your loved ones and it’s around this time of year that we tend to see a few rare glimpses of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s three children out in public. Of course, we can expect to see Prince George, Charlotte and Louis walking to church from Sandringham on Christmas Day, but ahead of this they’ll likely attend their mum’s Together at Christmas carol service. Prince George and Princess Charlotte made their debut at the service in 2022 and last year Prince Louis joined the rest of his family for the first time - providing several cute moments for fans to enjoy in the process!

This year the Princess of Wales’s carol service will be filmed on Friday 6th December and according to Hello!, guests are expected to arrive at 3:30pm for a 5pm start. If this is the case, then Prince George, Charlotte and Louis could receive the special festive privilege of leaving school early to make it.

The Wales children attend Lambrook School near the family’s Adelaide Cottage home in Berkshire, but term doesn’t end for Christmas until 13th December. It’s been suggested that the full day at Lambrook lasts until 5:20pm and even if this isn’t still the case, finishing in mid-afternoon like many schools would still mean a tight turnaround.

If Prince George, Charlotte and Louis do follow the pattern of previous years and join Prince William and Kate at Together at Christmas, they’d have to have time to get ready and travel to London ready for the 5pm start. In light of this, it seems likely that the school might give them some kind of special dispensation to leave slightly earlier. This would be a lovely thing to do and would ensure they definitely don’t miss out on their mum’s big moment.

The return of her annual carol service has been highly anticipated and will be one of the most high-profile public appearances she’s made since she completed cancer treatment. It’s expected that plenty of Royal Family members will be there to show their support, as well as Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton and her siblings Pippa and James, who have all attended in the past.

Each year Together at Christmas has a specific focus and the one for the 2024 service is love and empathy and how much we need each other, especially at the most difficult times of our lives. With such a special and deeply poignant message behind it, it’ll be wonderful for the Princess to have her own beloved family, including Prince George, Charlotte and Louis, with her.

"It’s a date that many of her family, on both sides, will not want to miss,” the BBC’s former royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously claimed to OK!. “And I’m sure they will make it as big a family event as possible. It will also be a chance for the children to see mum back in action, looking well and happy. And that will be the best Christmas present they could hope for.”

Jennie also reflected that the service has become an “occasion when we see quite a large turnout of the Royal Family” that “really marks the beginning of the royal Christmas”.

“This carol concert is Catherine’s way of thanking all those who have supported her and shown her kindness,” Jennie stated. “I think it’s lovely that the congregation will be largely made up of people who’ve helped or been helped."

The Princess of Wales is known for her warm and attentive parenting style. As such, we have seen her enjoy numerous sweet public interactions with her children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - over the years.

Some of Kate's most tender mother-child moments have been captured on the world stage when the family has been waving from the Buckingham Palace balcony or on a royal tour. However, others have been more intimate off-duty snapshots into Cambridge family life, such as at the polo or on their first days of school.

We've rounded up their sweetest encounters for heart-warming proof of the doting mother-of-three's special bond with her little ones, with whom she is teaching the regal ropes. You won't be able to not smile...

32 tender moments between Kate Middleton and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Clapping for the NHS

The Princess of Wales can be seen hugging a shy Prince Louis as they joined the rest of the Cambridge family in clapping for NHS carers as part of the BBC Children In Need and Comic Relief 'Big Night In' in 2020. They had spent much of the pandemic locked down on the Sandringham estate.

Hand-holding at Easter

In one of his first official royal outings, Louis was on his best behaviour as the princess sweetly held his hand on the way to a service at Windsor Castle in 2023. The Cambridges attended the Easter Mattins Service with the wider royal family.

Excited for the panto

Kate mirrored her children's excitement for a pantomime performance at London's Palladium Theatre in 2020. She held a nervous Louis' hand as they walked along the red carpet behind Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Careful guidance on tour

Having once learnt the ropes herself, Kate could be seen guiding Charlotte on a royal engagement at RAF Fairford in 2023. The mother-of-three sweetly put her hand on her daughter's back to show her the way.

Playing at the polo

Kate is known to be a present parent to her children as much as possible. In 2019, she spent quality time with them on the grass at Billingbear Polo Club, Wokingham as she tried to keep the youngsters entertained.

Shoulder squeeze on the balcony

Clearly aware of how daunting it must be to step on the Buckingham Palace balcony at such a young age, the princess was seen whispering words of encouragement to Louis during Trooping the Colour in 2022. More sweetly still, she gave her youngest child a squeeze of the shoulder.

Hand-holding at school

The princess held on tight to a nervous-looking Charlotte as they arrived for her first day of school at Thomas's Battersea in London in 2019. Her mother could be seen beaming while helping to carry her daughter's bag.

Touch-ups on the balcony

The royals have perfected the art of stepping out in public without a hair out of place. The princess sweetly arranged her son Louis' then-blonde do as he sucked his thumb on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour in 2019.

Day out with the scouts

In one of their rare royal engagements as a family, the princess was seen having fun with her children during a visit to the 3rd Upton Scouts Hut in Slough in 2023. During one moment, she showed them how to toast marshmallows over a fire.

Giggles in the carriage

Kate shared an adorable moment with her youngest son Louis at Trooping the Colour in 2023. She caught his eye during the carriage ride, causing the prince - sat between his two older siblings - to start giggling.

Chaperoning at Sandringham

On Christmas Day every year, the royals attend a service at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham. In 2023, the princess was seen supporting Louis as the the prince and his siblings encountered the crowd of festive well-wishers.

Cuddles at the christening

Kate looked overjoyed as she cradled a baby Louis in her arms at his christening at St James's Palace in 2018. The youngster, dressed in traditional royal christening robes, had been born just three months before.

Whispers at the tennis

The princess and her eldest son, George, showed off their close bond at Wimbledon in 2022. The pair could be seen happily chatting away while watching the tennis action from their seats.

Exploring the exhibition

Kate appeared just as excited as an inquisitive-looking George was at a butterfly exhibition at London's Natural History Museum in 2014. The then-mother-of-one smiled while holding the youngster in her arms.

Smiles at the tennis

At the Wimbledon men's final in 2023, the princess and Charlotte twinned in striking sunglasses as they kept up with the tennis action. Kate made sure to keep her daughter - who looked like she was very much enjoying herself - in the loop.

Pep talk at the wedding

Kate ensured Charlotte felt well-supported at the wedding of her uncle Prince Harry to Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2018. The princess leaned down for an intimate chat as the pair waited on the steps outside.

Excitement at the hospital

The princess was beaming with pride as she showed her daughter Charlotte off to the world outside St Mary's Hospital in London in 2015. She cradled the newborn in her arms just hours after giving birth.

Mischief at Cowes

At royal engagements over the years, Kate has been sure to show off her competitive side. On one occasion, at the King's Cup Regatta in Cowes in 2019, she was seen sweetly joking around with Charlotte.

Fun at the polo

Some of the most adorable moments between Kate and her children have been when they were off-duty. The princess was seen having fun with George and Charlotte at the Beaufort Polo Club in 2018.

Giggles at the Jubilee

Kate was spotted enjoying a heart-warming interaction with Louis at the Platinum Pageant on London's The Mall in 2022. The youngster could be seen giggling into his mother's shoulder as she also smiled.

Celebrations on the balcony

The princess couldn't have looked prouder as Louis seemed to be learning the royal ropes early on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour in 2019. She laughed as her youngest child started clapping at the flypast.

Learning at the RAF

Just like any other parent, the princess used the Cambridge family's royal engagement to the Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in 2023 as an opportunity to absorb some handy facts. She could be seen highlighting points of interest to a patient Louis.

First day of school pride

Kate stood protectively behind her three children on a shy-looking Louis' first day at Lambrook School, near Ascot, in 2022. She smiled as she appeared to absorb the important family milestone.

Protectiveness on royal outings

On royal engagements with her children over the years, Kate has often be seen leaning down to make sure they feel comfortable. She made the supportive gesture alongside George and Charlotte on a visit to Cardiff Castle in 2022.

Family times on the slopes

Kate beamed as she held Charlotte in her arms during a skiing break to the French Alps in 2016. The pair looked cosy, alongside William and George, as they dressed up warm for the snowy conditions.

Hugs in Poland

Charlotte looked keen to show her mother something in the distance on the first day of their official visit to Poland in 2017. Kate sweetly carried the young royal in her arms shortly after arriving by plane in Warsaw.

Waves in Canada

Kate showed her daughter the ropes as they waved to onlookers just before boarding a seaplane on the final day of their royal tour in Canada in 2016. The young princess, whose stylish outfit complemented her mother's, could be seen clapping enthusiastically.

Matchy-matchy on the balcony

Charlotte was Kate's adorable mini-me on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in 2017. The pair both looked pretty in pink dresses and smiled at the crowds that had formed up The Mall.

Calming nerves in Canada

The princess could be seen sweetly offering George words of encouragement at a children's party for military families during their royal tour of Canada in 2016. She calmly whispered in her oldest son's ear as he looked hesitant to play.

Cradles on the balcony

The Buckingham Palace balcony is a place where Kate has been spotted having some of the most adorable interactions with her three children over the years. It was no exception during Trooping The Colour in 2016 as she cradled a very young Charlotte in her arms.

Wobbles at the polo

Kate could be seen helping her eldest child George navigate a grassy slope as they played near a charity polo match taking place at the Beaufort Polo Club in 2015. The princess held her son's hand as he wobbled on his feet.

Support at the funeral

The state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth at London's Westminster Abbey in 2022 was a difficult day for the royal family. Kate was seen placing her hand supportively on Charlotte's back as they attended proceedings.

Prince Louis’s hilarious habit has been revealed by Prince William and Princess Charlotte probably isn’t a massive fan of it.

He might still be only five years old, but Prince Louis has a big personality and has regularly delighted fans with his cheeky antics at royal occasions. The Prince and Princess of Wales’s youngest child last appeared in public at Trooping the Colour with his siblings, and often we see Princess Charlotte in particular keeping an eye on him when the spotlight is on them. Prince Louis seems to idolise his sister, though she might not be a huge fan of one of his childhood habits. Prince William revealed it during a visit to Swiss Valley Community Primary School in Llanelli and explained that he would be trying to prevent Prince Louis from doing it again.

As reported by Hello!, pupil Ruby Davis, who’d won the individual reciting competition with a spectacular Welsh-language performance at the 2024 Urdd Eisteddfod, gave the future King some friendship bracelets for his children. Prince William apparently explained that Prince Louis would be tempted to take Princess Charlotte’s bracelets for himself.

"That's so sweet. Did you put them together yourself? They're going to wear those, you'll see them out and about," the senior royal said, before allegedly adding, "I'll keep them away from Louis because he'll try and steal all his sister's bits."

This desire to use or wear all your siblings' things is something many people will be able to relate to and it seems that the father-of-three is eager to try and ensure Prince Louis’ childhood habit doesn’t extend to these new friendship bracelets. It’s adorable to think he’s so eager to copy Princess Charlotte - even if she might not be as keen to have her brother trying to use her stuff.

This isn’t the first time that Prince Louis has wanted to have the same things as his sister as he reportedly asked to have a crown like hers when they previously went behind the scenes of Strictly Come Dancing with mum Kate. Head Judge Shirley Ballas has since claimed to The Sun that Prince Louis was originally given some sweets before he made his cute request.

"When they visited we had these crowns on set, so I thought it would be a nice idea to give the little girl a crown and I got him a nice box of sweets," Shirley said. "Then he went, ‘I want one of those’ and pointed at the crown. So we had to go and find him a little crown. They’re beautifully polite children. They had an absolute ball."

It could be that Prince Louis just wants to be like Princess Charlotte and whilst he seemingly won’t be allowed to "try and steal" her friendship bracelets, she could potentially let him borrow some of hers. She appeared to be wearing at least one at the Wimbledon final in July, perhaps inspired by her attending Taylor Swift’s Eras concert the month before, where Princess Charlotte’s "electric" personality impressed the singer’s boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason.

Her confidence has often been remarked upon and during his time in Wales Prince William is said to have told Ruby that his daughter "loves" dancing and performing.

"Charlotte loves her performing and dancing as well so I am going to show her your video when I get home," he supposedly told Ruby.

Princess Charlotte’s love of dancing likely inspired the Princess of Wales to take her and Louis to the Strictly studios before and she might well be looking forward to watching the launch show of the 2024 series on Saturday 14th September.

The Princess of Wales is said to have “conflicted emotions” over Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s return to school.

After a summer enjoying quality time together as a family outside of the royal spotlight, Prince William and Kate’s three children have now returned to Lambrook school. It’s understood that they spent part of their holiday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with King Charles and Queen Camilla as Their Majesties upheld the royal tradition of hosting the wider family there. Now, with their return to Adelaide Cottage, it’s been suggested that the Princess of Wales could have mixed feelings about Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’ break finally coming to an end.

Opening up to OK!, the BBC’s former royal commentator Jennie Bond, expressed her belief that “like most mums, Catherine will have conflicting emotions” about term time beginning again. She went on to state that the full-on nature of school holidays can’t “always have been easy” as Kate continues to undergo treatment for cancer, after revealing her diagnosis in March.

"Entertaining three children day after day - especially when there must still be days when she is feeling the effects of her cancer treatment - can’t always have been easy in these past few weeks. But she and William have looked wonderfully relaxed in the few images we have seen," the royal expert claimed. "I’m sure they’ve had a lot of fun and family time in Norfolk and Balmoral."

Whilst they no doubt had a brilliant time together this summer, Jennie suggested that the return of the family’s school day routine could end up being a positive thing for the future Queen, both personally and professionally. With Prince George, Charlotte and Louis occupied with their studies during the day, the expert declared Kate could have more opportunities for "rest" and to do some work for her royal projects.

She alleged, "Now it’s back to the early morning discipline of school uniforms, bags packed, homework done and the school run. It will give Catherine the chance to rest quietly when she needs it without feeling guilty that she’s not with the children, and it will also give her the opportunity to continue the work that she has been doing behind-the-scenes on the campaign and projects that mean so much to her."

Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020, the Princess of Wales got candid about her "mum guilt" as she balances life as a mother and working royal. Asked if she ever felt it, she responded, "Yes, absolutely. Anyone who doesn’t as a mother is actually lying."

Kate continued, "It's a constant challenge - you hear it time after time from mums, even mums who aren't necessarily working and aren't pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life."

This "juggle" continues during the school holidays too and, as Jennie claimed, it’s possible that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s return to school might mean Kate can take some more time to herself without feeling "guilty".

The Princess of Wales was last seen in public in July at the Wimbledon 2024 final and in June a new photo of her taken by Matt Porteous was released. In the caption shared on social media Kate described herself as "making good progress" and confirmed that her treatment for cancer would be ongoing "for a few more months". 

She added that she’d started to do a "little work from home" at that point and the Princess might well continue to do more of this again now her children aren’t at home during most of the day. Either way, whilst Kate could indeed have "conflicted emotions" about the holidays ending, it's likely she, Prince William and their children will soon settle back into their usual term time routine.

There’s reportedly a royal habit being “drilled” into Prince George, Charlotte and Louis by Prince William and Kate until it’s “automatic”.

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis might all be very young, but given they’re high up in the royal line of succession they are the most-often seen of the late Queen Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren. In recent years Prince William and Kate have started to gradually introduce their kids to public life more through appearances at sporting events like Wimbledon and the football. It’s also been suggested that the future King and Queen have prioritised certain royal habits at home at Adelaide Cottage. So much so that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have reportedly had the royal habit of writing thank you letters "drilled into" them, with the hope that it becomes second nature to them.

"William and Kate have developed this brilliant knack of letting as much as they can seem spontaneous and that's how the children see it. Table manners, thank you letters, little courtesies are being drilled into the children so they become automatic," the insider previously alleged to OK!.

It seems Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are being encouraged to naturally adopt these courteous habits from a young age. This will no doubt stand them in very good stead as they get older, when they are expected to all take on some kind of royal duties or responsibilities. The Royal Family are known to send thank you messages to well-wishers and also attend high profile State Banquets and dinners.

The Wales kids will likely take to these events that bit more easily if they’re already accustomed to being very polite and gracious. Being courteous and writing thank you letters are also things that Princess Diana reportedly took seriously when raising Prince William and Prince Harry too.

The Princess’s biographer Andrew Morton once reflected, as per Express.co.uk, "She took the young royals with her on her private charity visits from a young age... One of the reasons was she didn't want the boys to grow up thinking the whole world was 4x4 Range Rovers, shotguns and nannies."

It was also suggested by the publication that Princess Diana wanted to "ingrain a sense of appreciation" into her sons and so encouraged them to write thank you letters to those who helped them. This clearly meant a lot to Prince William, perhaps inspiring him to want Prince George, Charlotte and Louis to grow up with gratitude and impeccable manners too.

As well as supposedly writing thank you notes, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis also write letters more generally - including to Princess Diana. The Princess tragically never got to meet any of her grandchildren and in 2021 the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a glimpse of the handwritten Mother’s Day cards their kids wrote to their grandmother that year.

"Dear Granny Diana, Happy Happy Mother's Day. I love you very much and think of you always, sending lots of love from George," wrote Prince George, whilst Princess Charlotte added, "Dear Granny Diana, I am thinking of you on Mother's Day. I love you very much. Papa is missing you. Lots of love Charlotte".

In the caption it was revealed that this is something they do every year for Prince William. This is so heart-warming and it’s also moving to think that Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are being raised to share her values about being thankful and polite.

Carole Middleton’s special time with Prince George, Charlotte and Louis is when she "allows" them to enjoy a rather unroyal experience.

Over the years Carole Middleton has been described as "indispensable" to Prince William and Kate when it comes to helping to look after their three young children. Since the Wales family have moved to Adelaide Cottage they’re even closer to the Princess of Wales’s parents and it’s likely Prince George, Charlotte and Louis still see a huge amount of their Middleton granny. When Carole spends special time with her grandchildren, there’s one thing she believes it’s "important" for them to fully embrace - even if that means getting rather messy.

As reported by the MailOnline, Carole previously opened up to Saga magazine in their May 2021 issue about how her grandchildren help with planting at her home. According to her, time outdoors is key and Carole believes "allowing" her grandkids to get "muddy" is necessary, even if it's unexpected for a royal.

"It's important for children to grow up appreciating nature and part of that is allowing them to get a bit muddy," she explained, after revealing that she sets out "activity stations" to help keep her grandkids engaged with gardening.

Carole said, "If I'm doing planting with my grandchildren I like to have it all laid out at 'activity stations' with their own little trowel and pot so they can get started immediately. It's no good calling children over to an activity, only for you then to have to fuss about looking for the right equipment and clearing a space. They'll soon lose interest and slope off."

It’s likely that as her oldest grandchildren, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have enjoyed plenty of planting time with Carole over the years. We are used to seeing them dressed immaculately and behaving their best at royal events or in family photos. Because of this, it might be tricky to imagine them getting all "muddy" and throwing themselves into gardening at Bucklebury Manor.

However, Carole’s belief that "allowing" them to get messy outside as they appreciate the great outdoors is something Kate shares too. Speaking on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020 the future Queen said she’s always happy when she and her family are "getting filthy dirty" outside in the countryside.

She reflected that her own granny did so much with her - including gardening - and Kate added that she’s keen for Prince George, Charlotte and Louis to have those same experiences. 

"I remember that from childhood, my amazing granny devoted so much time to us. Playing, doing arts and crafts, cooking, gardening. I try and incorporate that into experiences I give my children now," she said. "As children, we spent a lot of time outside and it’s something I’m really passionate about."

So whilst getting muddy in the garden might not be considered very "royal" as a hobby, Kate and Carole clearly share a belief that it’s a key part of growing up. In her Saga interview Carole elaborated and suggested that "there's no better way to encourage healthy eating than to allow your grandchildren to see how food is grown and let them pick their own".

Whilst Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are gently being introduced to public life, it seems that they’re also being encouraged to enjoy a range of humble, nature-focused activities with their family. Gardening, getting muddy and generally enjoying time in nature is likely very grounding and balances the high-profile side of being young royals. 

The Princess of Wales reportedly made one thing "very clear" about Prince George, Charlotte and Louis to the Royal Family and it took a "lot of courage".

Over the years we’ve seen the Princess of Wales take on even more responsibilities as she supports King Charles and Queen Camilla and prepares for her future role as Queen Consort. Balancing this heavy workload with life as a busy mother-of-three likely isn’t easy and she and Prince William are known to plan their schedules as much as possible around Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’s school terms and holidays. They’ve also strived to ensure all three have privacy and space at Adelaide Cottage and it’s been suggested that Kate made one thing "very clear" about her children to the late Queen Elizabeth and King Charles long ago.

Getting candid with Hello! Robert Jobson, author of new biography, Catherine: The Princess of Wales, has said that Kate told them that her children "have to come first". This was a move that he described as taking "a lot of courage" given her royal position.

"With her children, she made it very clear to both the late Queen and to the Prince of Wales, as he was – now the King – that she's not going to be rushed into doing things that she doesn't necessarily want to do," Robert alleged. "That takes quite a lot of courage, because you're in a very alien world."

The author added, "I think she realizes that she only has one shot at this. She's got three young children, and they have to come first."

Whilst it might have been a potentially daunting prospect, Kate’s reported decision to clearly lay out her priorities when it comes to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis makes complete sense. It doesn’t detract in any way from her commitment to her royal duties, but reflects that she is also a devoted mother and that this is a hugely significant part of her life. 

It seems that Queen Elizabeth and King Charles also completely understood Kate’s priorities too. It’s been claimed over the years that they gave Prince William and Kate their blessing to put their children first when they were so young. According to Robert, this might be even more valuable to Kate given the future trajectory of her royal career.

The royal author said, "Her children are very, very young. This is a time she won't get back again. The difference between her and other people is that, in your career, you may have different phases. With her career, it's only going to get more and more official."

Already Prince George, Charlotte and Louis have been gently introduced to public life by their parents. However, this has tended to be at events with the rest of the Royal Family like Trooping the Colour, or else when they’ve accompanied one or both of their parents to sporting events like Wimbledon. Most of their time is still spent outside of the royal spotlight and a source previously claimed to PEOPLE that the Princess of Wales’s upbringing has inspired her and Prince William’s approach.

"Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time," the source alleged. "She wasn't brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day."

The future Queen herself reflected on her "very happy" childhood and how hands-on Carole and Michael Middleton were during her appearance on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020.

"My parents were hugely dedicated," Kate declared admiringly. "I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us. They came to every sports match, they’d be the ones on the side-line shouting, and we’d always have our family holidays together."

The Princess of Wales shared a new photograph of Prince William with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in order to mark Father's Day on Sunday.

After Kate Middleton made an unexpected appearance at the Trooping The Colour parade at the weekend, she took to social media to share a special photo of Prince William and the Wales children on Father's Day. 

Kate, who is known for her love of photography, treated the public to an unseen family snap of the Prince of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis enjoying a day at the beach. 

"We love you, Papa. Happy Father's Day," the caption of the post shared on Instagram read, with the message being signed off with George, Charlotte and Louis's initials. 

The caption also confirmed that the image had been taken by Catherine, who shared details of her cancer diagnosis back in March. 

While it's unknown exactly where the photograph was taken, it looks as though it could have been shot by the coast in Norfolk, nearby to the Wales family's Sandringham abode, Amner Hall. 

The children can be seen standing beside their father, staring out to sea with their arms wrapped around each other. The four are also sporting coordinating outfits for the sweet image, all wearing summer shorts and some form of blue top. 

The upload came after the Princess of Wales shared a new update on her cancer recovery and confirmed that she would be making an appearance with the rest of the Royal Family to mark the King's birthday at Trooping The Colour. 

As she thanked all of her supporters for their well wishes over the past few months, Kate explained that she is "making good progress" with chemotherapy but has "good days and bad days".

"On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well," she penned, going on to confirm that, while her treatment isn't over yet, she hopes to join in with more official engagements over the course of the summer. 

"My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.

"I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet," the post continued.

The special day saw Catherine and William stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony with George, Charlotte and Louis, with Kate looking chic in a re-worn monochrome midi dress by Jenny Packham. 

Prince William has revealed some surprising advice from his youngest son, Prince Louis, to the England team ahead of the Euros. 

The Prince of Wales, who is the president of the Football Association, travelled to St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent on Monday to wish the England men's team good luck in person before the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

Stood on stage chatting with England manager, Gareth Southgate, the father-of-three told the team, "I was on the school run this morning with the children and I said, 'What shall I say to the England team today? The best bit of advice I got to ask you was to eat twice the amount you normally would eat. 

He then continued to say that he's not sure that his youngest's advice is too well thought out, continuing, "So I then had visions of all of you running around with massive great tummies and loads of stitches on the pitch so I think maybe take my youngest's advice with a pinch of salt." 

Prince William then presented the 26 players selected for the Euros 2024 team and listened to how the preparations were going ahead of the team's first match against Serbia on Sunday. 

The Prince of Wales, who is an avid football supporter himself, gave the squad a pep talk before the tournament kicks off this weekend.

"Tournament football is brutal and it requires a lot more than you’ve already given," he explained (via The Times). "You’ve had a long old season as it is and we’re going to ask you to go again. 

"It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging, it’s going to be everything that you’ve ever dreamt of, wearing that England shirt, and all the experiences you’ve had at club football are going to have to be in the back of your head."

He then continued, "I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt from coming and seeing you guys over the years and every dressing room I’ve been to, is the togetherness, and I get that. What Gareth has instilled in all of you over the years, I really feel that you’re a unit. You fight for each other, you play for each other and you really care about putting that shirt on.

“And I just really want you guys to know how much it means to everyone back here, that you go out there, you give it your all, you play for the shirt, play for each other, play for the country because everyone’s behind you. We really care about what you’re going to do."

To mark the honour of Prince William attending the football club, a guest at the event Zakh Poots, a Port Vale Foundation football coach, revealed that they had sourced oat cakes as a special snack for the Prince of Wales. He explained, "We brought him oat cakes from Stoke-on-Trent. He remembered the oat cakes and said how much he had enjoyed them last time, which was fantastic!"

Prince William and Kate Middleton have an adorable nickname for their youngest son, Prince Louis. 

The sweet nickname was revealed during a family day out volunteering last year, where the whole Wales family dressed up in Scout outfits to mark the Big Help Out - a day of volunteering where the public is encouraged to get involved with local schemes. 

This was Prince Louis' first official engagement at the 3rd Upton Scouts Hut in Slough and the youngster looked in his element alongside his parents and siblings, trying his hand at archery and snacking on s'mores by the open fire. 

In footage of George, Charlotte and Louis gathered around the firepit for a s'mores toasting, the Princess of Wales can be heard using an adorable nickname for her youngest son.

"Pop that in the fire, Lou Bugs," she says in the clip. 

The sweet moment between mother and son was captured on camera and posted by a royal fan to social media site X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, "The sweetest video of Prince Louis tucking into a s'more. Love these natural family moments!"

Prince William was also present for the wholesome day out and in the background of the clip, viewers can hear him saying, "You've made his day," in reference to Louis tucking into his fireside sweet treat. 

Earlier at the event, Kate was heard using the sweet phrase again as Louis pushed around a wheelbarrow. "Well done! Good job, Lou bug!" the mother-of-three exclaimed. 

Fans were quick to comment on the sweet video, with one saying, "Is that William saying you made his day? So cute." While another wrote, "It's the head flop as he tastes that sweet treat pure joy! Bet he's a great kid to be around, lots of fun and personality."

"A gorgeous little 5 year old boy who is acting exactly how he should at that age. He is so cute," a third added. 

Prince Louis isn't the only one with a special family moniker - Prince George also has the sweet, if not unusual, nickname, PG Tips.

Back in 2013, the Mirror reported, "Proud royal parents William and Kate have given their new son George an unusual nickname – after a brand of teabags. Pals started calling Prince George PG, so the couple took the next logical step and dubbed him Tips."

Charlotte also has a special nickname, with Prince William having previously been heard calling his daughter "mignonette", which means "delicate" in French.