Extravagant gifts, an expensive education, and a future that's already planned — Prince Louis
made headlines after the queen's Jubilee, but what don't you know about the U.K.'s youngest prince?
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. For Prince Louis, her four-year-old great-grandson,
her death was confusing and difficult to understand. According to some reports, he had
a lot of questions about what the family's future would look like without his great-grandmother.
After a conversation with Princess Catherine, Australia's Governor-General David Hurley said,
"The younger one is now asking questions like, 'Do you think we can still play these
games when we go to Balmoral and things like that, because she's not going to be there?'"
According to royal expert Roya Nikklah, Louis' mother told some royal fans
who were paying their respects outside of Buckingham Palace that Louis' reaction was,
"At least Grannie is with Great Grandpa now."
Prince William explained in a statement that Louis and his other two children,
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, would all miss their great-grandmother. William said,
"My three children have got to spend holidays with
her and create memories that will last their whole lives."
"It's important to remember that there is a family
out there mourning the loss of their mother, their grandmother, their great-grandmother."
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was held on September 19, 2022. While most members of the royal family
were there to bid farewell to the late monarch, there was one glaring omission — Prince Louis.
According to Hello! Magazine, Louis was likely at home with the family's nanny.
However, it appears there was a time when Louis was being considered as a potential guest at the
funeral. According to the Daily Mail, the original guest list included Louis' name,
along with "to be confirmed" in brackets. Some people also pointed out that there
appeared to be an empty seat next to Prince William during the ceremony.
Prince Louis may be a prince, but that doesn't mean he always wears
brand new designer baby clothes. In fact, his parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine,
appear to be quite thrifty and eco-friendly in their clothing choices for the young prince.
According to some sources, he is often dressed in hand-me-downs from his older
siblings He's also been spotted wearing some hand-me-downs from other royals,
including his father and his uncle, Prince Harry. Of course, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise,
as Princess Catherine seems to be a huge fan of repurposing outfits for different occasions.
One of Prince Louis' biggest moments in the spotlight came in the summer of 2022 during
the queen's Jubilee celebrations. The young prince was spotted pulling some hilarious
faces during the event and he quickly went viral on social media. We all remember the
images of him covering his ears and screaming as the planes flew overhead or making faces
at his mother. In fact, his antics were so widely reported, Prince William and
Princess Catherine even acknowledged it in their statement at the time, tweeting,
"We all had an incredible time, especially Louis."
"Yeah, it was a four-day event honoring the queen,
but it was 4-year-old Prince Louie who stole the show."
Jo Frost, the so-called "supernanny," weighed in
on how Catherine dealt with Louis' outbursts, writing on Instagram,
"The whole fanfare will become a little too much when you're young — it was a long day,
little moments like this are going to happen, especially if you are strong willed,
sensitive and actually I would go as far as to say a highly sensitive child in my
professional opinion. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are a great example. Catherine
has never been afraid to tell the kids to stop in public, I love that about her."
While Catherine seemed to deal with Louis well, royal expert Ingrid Seward believed
that all of the attention would have concerned her. She told True Royalty TV,
"I think it's extremely hard to keep their little feet on the ground. [...] I think
this is a danger Kate's very aware of. Louis at the Jubilee became a superstar,
but that would have probably worried her a bit."
"His mother told him if he kept it up, his face would stick that way."
Prince Louis' first day of school was on September 7, 2022. On his first day,
Louis wasn't nervous or anxious. In fact, according to body language expert Judi James,
Louis appeared to be more than ready to begin his education. James told The Sun,
"Louis' eyes are fixed forward but his expression is one of determination rather than nervousness
about a first day at school. He's happy to be in the spotlight and keen to entertain everyone,
as we saw at the Jubilee. His arrival is so much different to his brother's."
She explained that Louis displayed more confidence than his two older
siblings did on their first days of school. James also told the Mirror,
"Spurning the offer of his dad's hand he sets off with the kind of arm swing
you normally only see on parade grounds and his eye gaze remains fixed ahead,
rather than looking up to check his parents in any gesture of a need for reassurance."
It seems that Louis isn't just the cheekiest; he might also be the bravest.
So, what is Prince Louis' relationship like with his grandfather, King Charles III? Well,
according to most accounts, it couldn't be better. In fact, according to one source,
the king has a special soft spot for his youngest grandson. A source told New Idea,
"Charles adores his cheeky little grandson. No one makes Charles laugh like Louis,
with his bombastic ways and bursts of energy. Equally,
no one can calm Louis down like 'Grandpa Wales' can. They have a special bond."
It seems that Charles did help Louis to relax a little during the Jubilee celebrations.
After his outburst with Princess Catherine when he pulled faces at her,
he was sent to sit with his grandfather. The source went on,
"Kate was amazed, he settled right down and watched the show happily. Charles was
pretty tickled by that as he loves Louis. He's had lots of practice wrangling cheeky
little boys thanks to Prince Harry, who was similarly naughty when he was four years old."
Apparently, Charles thinks that George is just like Prince William,
while Louis is more like Harry. The source concluded,
"Having Louis around has been just the tonic for Charles, who's devastated at how it's all gone
wrong with Harry, but there's a sense he's getting another chance with his grandson."
Unlike a non-royal child, Prince Louis probably won't be able to do
just anything he wants once he grows up. He may be only four years old,
but his life trajectory has already been planned out. Royal commentator
Carmen Sandi told the Express that he will likely be joining the military, saying,
"Prince William joined the Army, Prince Charles joined the Navy and Prince Harry
served in the Air Force. If you're sensing a theme, you'd be absolutely right. Men in
the Royal Family aren't just encouraged to join the military, it's expected of them. They may
not have to worry about that now, with George and Louis still being as young as they are but,
eventually, this is something they will have to consider doing as they get older."
In other words, Louis will likely need to choose
a branch of the U.K.'s army to join after he leaves university.
As for his more immediate future, some sources report that it's likely that
Louis and Prince George might attend Eton College like their father before them.
As of 2022, Prince Louis and his two siblings are attending Lambrook, a prep school in Berkshire.
Prior to this, Louis had attended a nursery school in London. According to the Daily Express,
his nursery cost a staggering £14,500 a year, while his primary school costs £17,556. Clearly,
his parents aren't sparing any expense when it comes to his education.
"New pictures have been released of George,
Charlotte and Louie preparing to start their new school."
As you might have guessed, Louis' school has plenty to offer, including scuba diving,
cooking, theater, filmmaking, soccer, a pool, bee farming,
polo, and golf. The school teaches children based on ability rather than age and classes
are reportedly only 35 minutes long. One source told People that Prince William
and Princess Catherine chose the rural school because it was so outdoorsy, saying,
"They are such an outdoorsy family, London just wasn't working for them
anymore. The countryside is definitely their happy place."
Prince Louis is, as we know, from one of the most famous, wealthiest families in the world. So,
it comes as no surprise to learn that he has already received a number of
very extravagant gifts. In 2021, The Times reported that he and his siblings had all
been given their first ponies. Apparently, the three children spent much of lockdown
learning to ride and taking a hands-on approach to taking care of the horses.
The ponies reportedly came shortly after the death of the family's cocker spaniel, Lupo.
But a pony isn't the only special gift Louis has received. According to Hello! Magazine, he and his
siblings were given a life-sized playhouse that belonged to the queen, their great-grandmother.
And, according to The Sun, Louis' uncle, Prince Harry, gave him a first edition of A. A. Milne's
"Winnie the Pooh" for his second birthday — apparently, the book was worth £8,000.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.K. in 2020, Prince Louis was just one and a half years old.
"A ninth person has tested positive for coronavirus in the UK."
Naturally, he was a little too young to really understand what was going on. He
and his family spent the lockdown in their home in Norfolk. Princess Catherine told the BBC,
"Louis doesn't understand social distancing. So he goes out wanting to cuddle everything,
particularly any babies younger than him."
She also explained that her older children understood things a little better, saying,
"George is a lot older than Louis is, but they are aware. I think I'm always
surprised. Although you don't want to scare them and make it too overwhelming,
I think it is appropriate to acknowledge it in simple and age-appropriate ways."
Because of the pandemic, Louis also missed his first months of nursery school,
which would have started in January 2021.
"Every part of the United Kingdom is now in lockdown."
At four years old, Prince Louis is beginning to develop his own
personality and interests. And according to his father,
Prince William, Louis' main passion is simply being outside. He told the BBC,
"Louis just enjoys playing outside the whole time. He lives outside."
However, as William went on to explain, his children are beginning to understand
that the climate crisis is threatening the outdoors that they love so much. He said,
"I think it is slowly dawning on them that these things matter.
But I think when you're that young, you just want to have fun and enjoy
it. And I feel bad. I don't want to give them the burden of that worry."
"Hello David Attenborough, what animal do you think will become extinct next?"
During a conversation with the Mirror, Princess Catherine revealed that Louis is also pretty
sporty. In fact, apparently, he's already playing tennis. She told the publication,
"George is playing. They're all playing, even Louis who's four. They're all keen."
Let's face it — life as a member of the royal family is never going to be "normal." But
apparently, Prince William and Princess Catherine are doing their best to give
their children a normal upbringing. In the book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown,
by royal reporter Valentine Low, a royal staff member explained that the parents try not to fill
their home with too much pomp and circumstance. The staff member said of the home's atmosphere,
"[Prince William] wants it to be casual. The kids run around the
office, and he does not want it to be stuffy. If we have important meetings,
or are going to Buckingham Palace, then of course we [wear suits]."
Another royal insider confirmed this staff member's story, saying,
"William and Kate very much prioritize bringing up the children in as normal
an environment as possible over anything else. They haven't lost sight of that."
Ever wondered where Prince Louis got his name? While you might think that Louis sounds more
French than English, there is actually a history of the name within the royal
family. According to the Mirror, Louis was named after Lord Louis Mountbatten who was
a grandson of Queen Victoria and a mentor for Charles when he was younger. In fact,
Charles actually chose Louis as one of Prince William's middle names.
While Louis may be named after a famous member of the family,
he seems to have made the name his own. He is often called Lou Lou by his siblings.