Prince Louis' Cheekiest Milestone Year in Photos as He Turns Five

Prince Louis, the youngest son of William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, turns five on Sunday after a year that has seen his public profile increase through a number of memorable appearances.

Louis became the star of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022 with his cheeky balcony antics during the pageant taking the internet by storm and at one point even sparking a parenting debate.

The last year has been one of momentous change for the prince, seeing him start a new school, move house with his family, celebrate the jubilee, mark the passing of his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and even gain a new name.

At the time of the queen's death, William and his family were known by the name of his senior title of Duke of Cambridge. When King Charles made his oldest son the new Prince of Wales after Elizabeth's death, Louis' name changed from Prince Louis of Cambridge, to Prince Louis of Wales.

With his great-grandmother's death, the prince moved one step closer to the crown, rising from fifth in the line of succession to fourth place, behind his father and siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Whether attending a church service or military parade, royal watchers are keen to spot the cheeky youngest son of the future monarch interact with his family members and well-wishers.

Here, Newsweek looks at a collection of photographic highlights from Prince Louis' past year as he celebrates his fifth birthday.

Sibling Jubilee Carriage Ride

Of the many public firsts for Prince Louis over the past 12 months, one of the most significant was his first carriage ride during a royal ceremony—one which marks the first of a lifetime in the public spotlight.

Marking Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, Louis joined his siblings, George and Charlotte, along with their mother, Kate, and Queen Camilla (when Duchess of Cornwall) in the open carriage as they made the short journey from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade for the annual Trooping the Colour celebration.

This marks the sovereign's official birthday and en route from the palace, the young royals performed a customary act of respect by bowing their heads in unison as the carriage entered the Mall.

Trooping the Colour Spectator in the Window

While at Horse Guards Parade, the royal party watched the military parade from the windows of the Admiralty buildings.

The three royal siblings watched as their father, William, and grandfather, Charles, participated in the parade which included a review of troops and receiving of the "colours"—the regimental flag.

During the event, Louis was seen interacting with his brother and sister, while Kate leant down to explain to her youngest son what was going on down below.

Noisy Buckingham Palace Balcony Flypast

One of the standout images from the Platinum Jubilee was of Prince Louis covering his ears as squadrons of Royal Air Force military aircraft flew over Buckingham Palace in a salute to Queen Elizabeth II.

Louis was photographed chatting to his great-grandmother before the flypast on the balcony as thousands of people lined the Mall below. When the planes arrived, Louis let his feelings about the noise be known by covering his ears, a sentiment shared by Princess Charlotte who briefly did the same.

Cheeky Prince's First Pageant

At the close of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations was an elaborate pageant staged outside Buckingham Palace, including an appearance by the famous Gold State Coach used in the coronations of Britain's monarchs since the 18th century.

During the lengthy event (over three hours), Prince Louis, along with a number of other royal children, were on constant public display and at one point, the cheeky young prince appeared to loose interest and even his patience.

In a discussion with his mother, the prince put his finger to his nose and appeared to cover her mouth which sparked a parenting debate on social media. The incident was soon over, however, and the royal was spotted pointing out military members in the pageant thereafter.

On Grandpa Charles' Knee

One of the most enduring images from the jubilee parade was of Prince Louis sitting on the knee of his grandfather, King Charles (then Prince of Wales).

The prince was seen negotiating a change of seat with his father, Prince William, who was captured on camera asking Charles: "Grandpa, can Louis sit on your knee?"

Singing the National Anthem

The final event of the jubilee saw the royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to thank crowds for honoring Queen Elizabeth and to sing the national anthem.

The queen made a special effort to appear on the balcony, despite suffering from "episodic mobility issues," and it was to mark the last of such appearances of her historic 70-year reign.

Along with his family, Prince Louis sang the anthem through and impressed royal watchers and commentators for knowing the words by heart.

First Day At New School

In 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly moved their family from London to Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Castle estate. This meant the family would have more privacy to roam the expansive grounds as the children grew and also meant they would be closer to potential future schools.

It was announced soon after the reported move that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis would all start attending Lambrook School near Windsor the following academic year in September.

The children attended an induction afternoon on September 7 where they were photographed together. Their first official day at the school was September 8, the same day that Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96.

Christmas Day at Sandringham

Christmas 2022 marked the royal family's first without Queen Elizabeth II and also the first with William and Kate as Prince and Princess of Wales, with their children as Princes George and Louis of Wales, and Princess Charlotte of Wales.

2022 also marked the first time the royals held a large traditional family Christmas at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, after a two-year break owing to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Louis made his first royal walkabout after the Christmas morning church service attended by King Charles, Queen Camilla and the rest of the extended family staying in Norfolk.

At one point, the prince was seen running a bouquet of flowers given to him by a well-wisher up to his sister, Charlotte.

Easter at Windsor Castle

Prince Louis' most recent public appearance was during the royal family's annual Easter Sunday church service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The prince appeared in coordinating shades of blue with his mother, siblings and father for the occasion. It was also the first time the little prince was seen wearing a tie in public which delighted royal watchers on social media.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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