Prince Louis celebrated his eighth birthday on Thursday with new photos and video released by his parents on Instagram.
Prince William and Kate Middleton shared unseen beach footage of their son
The Prince and Princess of Wales posted a portrait of Louis on a boat wearing a blue half-zip pullover, along with video showing him digging in the sand, running toward the water and taking a dip in a wetsuit. The caption read “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis” and “8 is great!” The images were taken by photographer Matt Porteous, whom Kate Middleton tagged in the post. This continues the couple’s tradition of marking their children’s birthdays with personal updates on social media.
The royal family acknowledged the birthday across official channels
King Charles re-posted Louis’s portrait on his Instagram Stories with the message “Happy birthday to Prince Louis!” The monarch, who is 77, added no further commentary. Earlier in the day, the Prince and Princess of Wales had also shared the new portrait, which shows Louis smiling with his arms crossed. Louis has two older siblings: Prince George, who is 12, and Princess Charlotte, who is 10. The Waleses have been married since April 2011.
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Louis continues to draw attention for his public appearances
Louis has gained a reputation for being the cheekiest of the Wales children, often making headlines for his behavior at royal events. Most recently, during the family’s Christmas walk at Sandringham in December 2025, he snatched a large Lindt chocolate bar from his father’s hand, prompting William to laugh. In May 2023, Louis was photographed yawning during King Charles’s coronation ceremony. These moments have contributed to his image as a lively and unpredictable young royal.
Why did the Prince and Princess of Wales choose to share video this year?
The source does not specify a reason for releasing video footage this year, only that it was never-before-seen material captured at the beach and shared alongside a traditional portrait.
Who took the new photographs of Prince Louis for his birthday?
Matt Porteous was credited as the photographer for the birthday images, as tagged by Kate Middleton in the Instagram post.
