He's a pint-sized prince who digs grass stains and dirt! But were his first words really "Mary
Berry"? He's the apple of his mama's eye, and here's why Louis will always be her baby!
Though the public were
thrilled for Princess Catherine when she announced each of her pregnancies,
she also suffered from an extreme version of morning sickness. And because of that,
the scenario with her third child, Prince Louis, was tough from the start.
"Nothing can really prepare you for that."
Kate reflected on the experience two years after Louis was born,
telling the "Happy Mum, Happy Baby" podcast,
"[It was] utterly rotten. I was really sick. I wasn't eating the
things I should be eating and yet the body was still able to take all the
goodness from my body and to grow new life, which I think is fascinating."
She noted that her husband, Prince William,
felt useless since there wasn't much he could do to help. Kate added,
"Because it had been so bad during pregnancy,
I actually really quite liked labor. Because actually it was an event that
I knew there was going to be an ending to. No pregnancy is the same, no birth is the same."
Prince Louis came
into the world on April 23, 2018, rounding out the family of five. And after a brief respite,
Kate was back on the public scene shortly after. By January 2019,
she was opening up about the new addition, sharing during a visit to Scotland,
"Louis is a fast crawler."
Two months later, Catherine gave yet another quick update about her youngest son,
explaining that he was already giving her a run for her money. She said,
"Louis just wants to pull himself up all the time. He has got these
little walkers and is bombing around in them. […] I turned around the other
day and he was at the top of the slide — I had no idea!"
Any fan of British TV knows
that life couldn't possibly be complete without "The Great British Baking Show." Judge Mary Berry
was a staple on the show for many years, and is a well-known figure in Britain for her classic
cookbooks and sweet treats. As it happens, Kate keeps some of Berry's cookbooks in her kitchen,
and they just so happened to be at Louis' eye level when he was learning to talk.
Appearing with Berry during a Christmas special in 2019,
Kate revealed that one of Louis' first words was actually "Mary," adding,
"Children are really fascinated by faces, and your faces are all over your cooking books and
he would say 'That's Mary Berry,' so he would definitely recognize you if he saw you today."
As William and Kate have raised their
children in the public eye, they've also focused on giving their kids as normal of an upbringing
as possible. And Kate has been dedicated to getting her three kiddos out in the fresh air,
admitting that it's her favorite time to spend with them. As she told "Happy Mum, Happy Baby,"
"Outside in the countryside […] we're all filthy dirty."
"What am-im-mal do you like?"
As for Louis, he's all about the outdoor adventures. Appearing at
the "Back to Nature" festival in 2019, Kate explained that 1-year-old Louis
loved being around plants. As a guest of the event described to People,
"She was telling us how her son Louis loves smelling flowers. He enjoys being outside."
As any mom knows,
before you even realize it, your little one is walking, talking, demanding snacks,
and heading off to preschool without batting an eye. For Kate, watching Louis grow up has been
especially bittersweet. Referring to him as her baby, she shared during a visit to Brent,
"I keep thinking Louis is my baby, but he's a proper boy now."
Of course, the public had just watched Louis appear at the Trooping the Colour
event for the first time, and to say that he had fully come into his own as a young
boy was an understatement. As an insider told Hello!,
the princess had become more determined than ever to stay grounded as a parent, adding,
"Kate takes her kids to the trampoline park quite regularly and really blends in as any other mum."
The world seemed
to stand still after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022. She had been a staple of
life — both royal and otherwise — for seven decades, and many of us had never known a
monarchy without her. As for the royal family, they came out in full force to honor her life
in the wake of her passing, and the Windsor walkabout was certainly one for the books.
"Big change starts small."
In a stunning reunion, William and Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan talked with
mourners and thanked them for their support. Though much of the attention was spent on
the reunion of the two couples who have been at odds for years, there were also some more
touching moments. In a TikTok video, Kate was seen chatting with the crowd, sharing,
"My little Louis is just so sweet. He said,
'Mummy don't worry, because she is now with great grandpa.'"
When it comes to the
Cambridge kids, parallels have frequently been drawn between them and their parents.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte are spitting images of their father Prince
William. They have his eyes, his smile, and his coloring. But Louis, meanwhile,
looks exactly like his mom. And this has become even more apparent as he's gotten older.
"Healthy, happy children shape a healthy, happy future."
Kate has continued to champion causes close to her heart, and one of them is her "Shaping Us"
initiative that focuses on parenthood and the early childhood years. During a kickoff event,
she shared photos of herself as a baby with her dad. Immediately,
fans recognized just how similar Louis and Kate look as kids. She added,
"I hope you'll also consider joining me in sharing a picture of yourselves before your
fifth birthday to help with those conversations and to share some smiles and memories too."
It seems like it was only yesterday that Prince George was born. But he's already
a bustling 9-year-old, in line for the throne. And while he's the baby of the bunch, Louis is
also growing up fast. Taking to social media to honor Mother's Day in the U.K. in March 2023,
Kate shared adorable photos of her kids; one holding Louis as if he were still an actual baby.
Body language expert Judi James noted that the photo is indicative of Kate's
feelings about her youngest son, explaining to the Daily Mail,
"This pose shows Kate fully back in 'mum' role again,
cradling Louis in her arms and looking down with a warm, loving and caring smile. Louis
was always the child she tended to carry around the most when he was a baby. Although
she clearly cherishes the way he is growing up to be confident, spontaneous and playful."
As their kids got older,
William and Kate decided to move them out of London — where they had been
residing at Kensington Palace — and make their home in the countryside. The family
of five now live on the Windsor Castle grounds, allowing them much more privacy.
Of course, schooling has been a focal point for the parents, and they enrolled their children
at Lambrook School in Windsor. Though the school is private, elite, and surely provides the royal
children with an excellent education, it seems Louis still prefers to be out of the building,
rather than sitting in class. During a visit to a therapy garden in Wales, Kate shared,
"Louis comes home and says, 'I need to get my energy out.'"
"Being interactive outdoors
has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young kiddies."
Apparently, Louis runs for the garden at the very first chance he gets.
As Prince Harry has
carved out a space for himself outside of the royal family,
he's brought attention to the role he played growing up. Openly referred to as
the "spare" to Prince William's heir, Harry claims he was often seen as the sidekick.
"You should kind of be sitting there, a little bit in the monarch's shadow, and just wait your turn."
As they've gotten older, William and Kate's kids have sometimes been cast
in a similar light. Prince George is the heir to the throne after his father,
but Charlotte and Louis will likely never rule, making them potential spares. As more
and more focus has been drummed up by Harry, William and Kate are said to be incredibly
focused on how their two younger children are raised. As royal expert Tom Quinn told Express,
"I think because the royal family now is so aware of the mistakes that they've made
in the past, especially with bringing up children,
they will make enormous efforts to make sure that Louis doesn't feel like a lost soul."
Kate clearly adores each
of her kids and most certainly holds on to every last moment from their childhoods.
So perhaps it's worth asking if she would ever have another baby. And as it turns out,
Kate apparently seems sold on the idea of baby no. 4 — but William doesn't appear to be convinced.
While they were on a tour of Scotland after Louis was born, Kate spent time with young
children while visiting St. John's Primary School in Glasgow. The mom of three was clearly smitten
with the little ones, leading William to remark on any ideas she may be getting:
"Can you get my wife out of here before she gets broody?"
William's quip came just shortly after he made a previous comment about Kate's possible desire to
add to the family. While the two took part in a royal engagement at the Clitheroe Community
Hospital in Lancashire, Kate shared a loving moment with one little girl, posing with her for
photos. Obviously witnessing how much his wife was fawning over the baby, William quickly piped up,
"Don't give my wife any more ideas."
If we had to take a guess, we would assume that the royal couple's family may already
be complete. And that means Louis, no matter his age, will always be Kate's little baby.