Prince William and Princess Catherine have marked their youngest son's birthday with a heartwarming new video. The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a series of intimate clips of Prince Louis living his best life as he turned eight.
Posting to Instagram, the proud parents wrote: "Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis. 8 is great!"
In the footage, Louis is seen digging in the sand, playing cricket on the beach and leaping into the water in a full wetsuit, before running towards the camera in the final shot.
Louis' playful reputation
Louis has built a reputation as the cheeky, free-spirited sibling — often stealing the spotlight from his older siblings, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, with his playful antics.
The sweet footage showed Louis celebrating his birthday at the beach. In this latest video, Louis appears more grown-up as he celebrates his milestone birthday by the sea.
Alongside the video, his parents also shared the traditional birthday portrait to mark the occasion.
Homemade cake tradition
It's likely the celebration also included one of Princess Catherine's signature homemade cakes. Speaking in 2019 during A Berry Royal Christmas with The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry, the princess revealed she stays up late each year baking for her children's birthdays.
"It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up 'til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing," she said at the time. "I make far too much, but I love it."
Prince Louis' most memorable moments
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
In 2022, during the Jubilee flypast, Louis was famously photographed covering his ears and shouting. Later, during the pageant, he pulled faces, stuck out his tongue and even placed his hand over his mother's mouth in a cheeky moment. He later delighted crowds by sitting on the now King Charles III's lap to watch the celebrations.
King Charles III's coronation
At the 2023 coronation in Westminster Abbey, Louis was caught on camera yawning several times during the lengthy service. Afterwards, during the carriage procession, his unimpressed-yet-obliging wave perfectly captured the boredom many young viewers could relate to.
Trooping the Colour
At his first balcony appearance in 2019, Louis charmed onlookers with an enthusiastic wave and a tiny pout. In 2023, he was seen saluting troops and mimicking a jet pilot, while in 2024 he once again drew attention for his high energy — even breaking into a little dance and bringing his own spark to the formal event.
