Kate Middleton hands camera to photographer for Prince Louis' birthday portrait

Video LoadingVideo UnavailableClick to playTap to playThe video will auto-play soon8CancelPlay nowKate Middleton hands camera to photographer for Prince Louis' birthday portraitAs Prince Louis celebrates his eighth birthday today, we look back at the official portraits marking his special day in years past - but they weren't all taken by Princess KateByCharlotte FosterRoyal Reporter10:52, 23 Apr 2026|commentsPrince Louis is celebrating his eighth birthday today and the Palace is keeping with tradition by marking the special day with a new portrait of the young prince. The new image was shared by his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and was taken earlier this month during a family trip to Cornwall. Taken by royal photographer Matt Porteous, who has snapped photos of the Wales family in the past, the image shows Louis leaning with his arms folded and smiling while on a boat, with the sea as the backdrop. Unlike the photos taken to mark the young prince's earlier birthdays, the snap was not taken by Princess Kate. The Princess of Wales took the birthday portraits of her young child up until his fifth birthday in 2023, as she featured in the photos with Louis which were taken by photographer Millie Pilkington. Kate's photography skills were once again on show for Louis' sixth birthday, before photographer Josh Shinner took over the following year for his seventh birthday. In years past, Louis firmly cemented himself as a favourite among royal fans and became known for his cheeky antics during rare public appearances. But as Louis turns eight, one royal expert believes the young prince has started to reign in his mischievous nature in public as he grows up. And as former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror, there is likely to be a small wave of melancholy for William and Kate as their youngest child grows up. Jennie said: “A tinge of sadness? Yes, it’s inevitable as your ‘baby’ shoots up and grows out of all his clothes, exerts his will and show...