Prince William, Kate Middleton share new photo of Prince Louis for his 6th birthday

Prince Louis, the youngest child of Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, and younger sibling of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is 6.

The Wales family marked the young prince's birthday by sharing a new photo, taken by Kate.

The photo, shared on William and Kate's social media accounts, shows a smiling Louis, dressed in a plaid collared shirt, posing outside on a blanket.

The photo was accompanied by the caption, "Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today."

The new photo, taken at the family's home in Windsor, is the first released by William and Kate since early March, when a photo they shared on their official X account, and distributed via Kensington Palace, was retracted by several global news agencies over concerns it was "manipulated."

The photo of Kate and her three children was taken by William, according to the palace, and was shared to mark Mother's Day in the United Kingdom. Kate later apologized for the "confusion" caused by the photo.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she said in a statement shared on X. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day."

The photo was significant in that it was the first public sighting of Kate during her extended break from public duties after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

Just two weeks after the photo scandal, Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer and had begun a course of preventative chemotherapy.

The palace has not shared details on the type of cancer Kate was diagnosed with. She said in a video message that the cancer was discovered in post-operative tests after her abdominal surgery in mid-January.

In announcing her cancer, Kate asked for privacy and said it had taken her time to "explain everything" to George, Charlotte and Louis, adding, "As I have said to them, I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal, in my mind, body and spirits."

What to know about Prince Louis

Louis, whose full name is Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Wales, was born at 11:01 a.m., local time on April 23, 2018.

The young prince, a grandson of King Charles III, made his first public appearance just seven hours after his birth, when William and Kate brought him outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London.

In the years since, Louis has been known to steal the spotlight at royal events.

In 2022, Louis captured the public's eye when he animatedly stood next to his great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during her Platinum Jubilee.

Later on at the jubilee's Platinum Pageant, Louis's display of facial expressions, waving and even at times screaming, prompted William and Kate to caption a video montage of the event, "We all had an incredible time, especially Louis…," followed by an emoji of watchful eyes.

The next year, in 2023, Louis had his turn in the spotlight again at Charles' coronation, where he was seen dancing, waving and, at times, yawning.

Just after the coronation, in early May, Louis marked a royal milestone, attending his first royal engagement.

The then-5-year-old was seen trying archery and shoveling alongside Kate as they were joined by William, George and Charlotte in helping to renovate a hut for a scout troop.

The family was taking part in the Big Help Out, a coronation event meant to encourage people to volunteer in their communities.