As Prince Louis runs joyfully towards the camera on a Cornish beach, in footage released by his parents to mark his eighth birthday, it is tempting to imagine this as a metaphor.
The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales – who is at the heart of the royal family with his brother, Prince George, and sister, Princess Charlotte – is bounding towards a future in which he will find his place in public life.
But the message accompanying the video, which also shows Louis playing beach cricket, digging a hole in the sand and leaping from a platform into the chilly waters off the coast of Cornwall, is a reminder that he is still only a child.
“Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis,” reads the caption on his family’s official Instagram account. “8 is great!”
The video is accompanied by a photograph of Louis, arms folded and wearing a half-zip fleece from Boden, with the caption “Happy birthday, Louis! 8 today!”, followed by a balloon emoji.
The image, taken on a boat in Cornwall by the photographer Matt Porteous earlier this month, features a reminder that the prince is enjoying the rough-and-tumble of a normal childhood. Below his right eye is a faint scratch.
He is thought to have marked his special day with a private celebration at home with his family.
Toeing the line
Whether it was clasping his hands over his ears at the Platinum Jubilee or puffing out his cheeks in imitation of a jet fighter at Trooping the Colour, Prince Louis has reliably brought a natural spontaneity to royal events.
But there has been an evolution in the antics of the Wales family’s youngest member as he reaches the milestone of becoming a tween.
© Getty ImagesAfter Louis celebrated his eighth birthday on 23 April, royal observers who have witnessed his occasional appearances in public suggest that he is developing an appreciation of what is expected of him.
The royal author Robert Jobson, whose books include The Windsor Legacy, says that Louis, who is dearly loved by his grandfather the King, is showing signs of maturity after earning a reputation for cheekiness while in the spotlight.
“It’s a bit different at this time,” Robert says. “He’s been with his brother and sister and been far more relaxed. I think he’s been very good. Clearly something has clicked inside him.
“He’s realised that when he’s on parade he has to toe the line a bit more.”
Slimmed down royal family
William and Kate have been clear about their desire for their children to grow up away from public scrutiny, and it will be over a decade before any decision is made about their royal roles.
What is certain, however, is that by the time Louis grows up the working practices of the Firm will bear little resemblance to those of today.
Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles have counted on the support of the Princess Royal, 75, the Duke of Edinburgh, 62, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 61, the Duke of Kent, 90, the Duke of Gloucester, 81, the Duchess of Gloucester, 79, and Princess Alexandra, 89.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThere has been no indication that any of these working royals will be replaced by members of the extended family, so there will be plenty for the core family to do, if that is what they choose.
Spare sensitivity
Robert says that the question of how the family treats its “spare” members, high in the line of succession but with no constitutional role, has been at the front of royal minds since the Duke of Sussex aired his grievances in his memoir of that name. Although George, 12, has a future mapped out for him, Charlotte, ten, and Louis have no duties by default.
“I haven’t got a crystal ball, but they are acutely aware of the examples of Princess Margaret, [the former] Prince Andrew and Prince Harry,” Robert says.
“It’s something they are going to have to look at. What is your role? Is it a princely role or you are working all the time?
“They’re going to make a decision about where he’s going. Will he have a career? Will he go into the military? That will depend on his personality.”
© Anadolu via Getty Images
© Samir Hussein./WireImageGrandpa Wales
The King’s relationship with his grandson is clearly filled with affection. At the royal family’s traditional Easter church service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in April, Charles greeted Louis by reaching out and touching the prince’s shoulder.
Emily Nash, hello!’s royal editor, says that the monarch has no favourites, but it is evident how much he values his time with all three of William’s children, who know him as Grandpa Wales.
"The King is close to all of the Wales children and regularly meets up with them at Windsor on Sundays,” Emily says. “But his affection for Prince Louis has been seen in public on several occasions, notably at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in 2022, when the little boy climbed on to his grandfather’s lap for a cuddle.
“It was a heartwarming scene, and as he bounced Louis on his knee, we got an insight into how hands-on Charles is away from the cameras.”
© Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesThe Queen has often talked about her husband’s delight in reading stories to his grandchildren, saying that the King is far better than her at getting into character for the different voices.
"I can’t mimic voices for love or money; I’m completely hopeless at it," Camilla said. "But my husband does it brilliantly. He can do all the voices."
She has also described how Charles will “get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, making funny noises and laughing”.
Emily says: “He clearly has a warm and playful relationship with them and delights in spending time with them when he can. No doubt it brings back happy memories of his own sons at the same age."
Robert agrees that Charles is an affectionate grandfather. “The King loves them all the same, but he has a soft spot for Louis, who doesn’t have the shackles of responsibility that George has.”
Fun-loving Prince
Louis’s appearance at Easter was a chance for him to show that he isn’t always a cheeky presence, but it was only a few months before he turned eight that he captured the public imagination while taking part in the royal family’s Christmas Day walk to St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham.
He spotted one well-wisher holding a red Lindt Lindor milk chocolate ball almost the size of his head. As William accepted the gift on Louis’s behalf, the younger prince seized the chocolate from his father and twisted his body away with the skill of a rugby scrum-half.
“Yeah, Louis, I thought that might happen,” William said, ruffling his son’s hair.
© Best Quality Designer Handbag As the youngest sibling, Louis will be able to see how others in his family deal with growing up inside the royal circle. He can learn not just from Charlotte, whose self-assurance led her to hug and pose for selfies with members of the public on Christmas Day, but also from his extended family.
Zara and Mike Tindall’s daughter Mia, 12, and Peter Phillips’s daughters, Savannah, 15, and Isla, 14, are all examples for him to observe.
He is also close in age to Lena Tindall and to Pippa Middleton's son, Arthur, both seven, so has playmates within the family.
Robert says that William and Kate’s priority is to allow each of their children to find their own sense of themselves and to shield them from outside pressures.
“Undoubtedly, they’ll want them to be allowed to grow up, and quite rightly.
“As I see it, the King has a limited time on the throne. The next person in the role must have the experience in dealing with the press and everything [that goes with being a principal member of the royal family].
“The spare roles aren’t constitutionally important, but they are important for the reputation of the institution.”
