Taking a break. Prince William and Princess Kate‘s 5-year-old son, Prince Louis, left midway through King Charles III‘s coronation on Saturday, May 6.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, 41, arrived with their kids, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Louis at Westminster Abbey to honor the monarch. William, 40, and Kate’s youngest child was part of the procession while George served as a page to the king.
Louis was notably absent later in the ceremony after cameras caught him yawning several times before showing the family as the congregation sang “Praise Him.” The young royal was seen back in his seat toward the end of the historic event when attendees performed “God Save the King” as Charles walked out toward the carriage procession.
Before joining his family to celebrate Charles’ coronation, Louis celebrated his fifth birthday late last month. “Someone’s turning 5 tomorrow… 🎂,” the official Instagram account for William and Kate captioned photos of Louis on April 22. “A very happy birthday to Prince Louis.”
In the sweet new snaps, Louis was wearing a blue sweater and shorts while smiling at the camera. He seemed thrilled as his mother pushed him around in a wheelbarrow.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly that Louis’ big day featured plenty of festivities. “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,” an insider shared with Us. “They always make birthdays special for their children and go the extra mile!”
According to the source, Louis’ special party included cakes, sandwiches and many balloon decorations. William and Kate, who also booked an entertainer for partygoers, surprised their youngest with a Pickleball set and an outdoor obstacle course.
Louis has previously made his mark while attending various royal events with his family over the years. During the late Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, Louis enthusiastically waved to the crowd before sister Charlotte made him stop. After his sister took his hand and put it in his lap, Louis resumed waving as Queen Camilla watched on.
Earlier that year, royal photographers Samir and Zak Hussein opened up about how they have been able to capture fun moments with the royal children.
“You have that unknown element,” Samir exclusively told Us in January 2022. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re royal kids or any kids, and they could throw a tantrum at any time or they could just do something funny, like stick out their tongue. They don’t always play by the rules. So, I love photographing kids ‘cause you don’t really know [what] you’re gonna get, and more often than not you get these special moments.”
Samir admitted that it can be “challenging” to get the right shot but it is worth the effort. “As a royal photographer [and with] photographing kids in general, you’ve got to be ready because this [could] be a really fleeting moment, but it also produces some of the most fun moments and best pictures,” he explained.
