A special day! Prince William and Princess Kate are celebrating youngest son Prince Louis’ fifth birthday with lots of fanfare.
“Kate has organized a fun adventure-themed birthday party with all his school friends to celebrate the milestone, and she and William are also doing something family-orientated,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly how the Prince of Wales, 40, and the Princess of Wales, 41, are marking their son’s special day. “They always make birthdays special for their children and go the extra mile!”
The insider notes that Louis’ big day had cakes and sandwiches for guests to taste, as well as plenty of balloon decorations. The Duke of Cornwall and Kate also booked an entertainer to dazzle partygoers.
The married couple, who wed in April 2011, also picked up a handful of small presents for their little one rather than one large, expensive gift. The insider tells Us that Louis received a Pickleball set and an outdoor obstacle course.
William and the Duchess of Cambridge first became parents in July 2013, welcoming firstborn son Prince George. Two years later, daughter Princess Charlotte joined the brood before Louis completed the family on April 23, 2018.
“Kate and Louis have an unbreakable bond and she has such a soft spot for him,” the source notes.
As Louis has gotten older, he’s started to make more public appearances with his royal relatives, including at late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. The toddler joined his parents and older siblings on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the Trooping the Colour flypast and the Jubilee concert, alongside the queen and his grandfather King Charles III.
Louis’ beloved great-grandmother, affectionately nicknamed “Gan-Gan,” died the following September at the age of 96. Shortly after Her Majesty’s passing, the Duchess of Cornwell revealed how her youngest son consoled her after learning the news.
“[He said,] ‘At least Grannie is with Great-Grandpa now,’” Kate recalled to mourners during a September 10, 2022, walkabout with William outside Windsor Castle, referring to Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
Louis, however, did not attend Elizabeth’s state funeral later that month. A second source told Us at the time that William and Kate “flip-flopped” about whether or not Louis should join them — along with George, 9, and Charlotte, 7 — at the memorial. According to the insider, they ultimately concluded that “the procession and service would be too lengthy and overwhelming for their youngest to handle and digest.”
Months later, Louis made his first appearances at the family’s annual Christmas Day and Easter morning services in December 2022 and April 2023, respectively. He is also expected to attend Charles’ official coronation next month, alongside his parents and siblings.
“Louis has changed so much over the last year and has really grown into his own. He’s such a character — a charismatic soul who lights up with his fun-loving personality and a real little chatterbox,” the first source explains to Us. “He can be a little shy around new people, but it rarely takes long for him to warm up. You can put him in almost any social situation, and he’ll adapt.”
Louis has also been following in his big siblings’ footsteps as he grows up. The insider reveals that Charlotte “always looks out” for her baby brother and even helps him with his homework. “She has really taken him under her wing,” the source adds.
With reporting by Travis Cronin and Natalie Posner
