Royal fans left disappointed as Prince William and Princess Kate break with tradition on eve of Prince Louis' birthday

It has been a difficult few months for the royal family, especially with Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis and time away from the spotlight as she regains her strength, but they do have reason to celebrate.

Prince Louis, the youngest of Princess Kate and Prince William's three children, turns six years old on Tuesday, April 23, but in light of recent events, it seems his parents have strayed from tradition.

Each year, on the eve of their kids' birthdays, and particularly all of Louis', the Prince and Princess have released a photo to commemorate the special day, and serve as a reminder of how much they've grown.

You may also like

• Prince George and little brother Prince Louis' joint celebrations revealed

• Prince William at 6 compared to mini-me son Prince Louis

• Kate Middleton and Prince William reveal real reason they prefer video calls to in-person meetings

On occasion, they also share a second photo on the day of the birthday, thanking fans for their well wishes. However, this birthday eve marks the first that they haven't shared a new photo of Prince Louis.

Princess Kate has often taken the photos herself, a nod to her love for photography.

Why William and Kate haven't released a photo so far

There has been a lot more for the Prince and Princess of Wales to deal with this year than in the past, though, with Kate's recovery, King Charles' health, plus the immense stir caused by the last photo that was shared of the family on Mother's Day in March.

"He's super cute and definitely the cheeky one. Can't wait to see the new photos of him. You never really know what Prince Louis is going to do when he's on a walkabout with his mam and dad," wrote one enthused fan on social media.

Yet royal fans were left disappointed with the subtle break from their annual tradition, however, they may share a new photo of Louis on the day of his actual birthday, and there is no doubt that the doting parents will be doing anything they can to make their newly-minted six-year-old feel as special as possible.

"Royal fans will be disappointed by the lack of a photograph to mark Prince Louis's birthday. It is something of a royal tradition that royal birthdays are celebrated by the release of photographs, Catherine has taken a great many and they are always eagerly awaited," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told HELLO!

"This is a shame because of the vexed issue of her Mothering Day photograph. The revelation that it was edited led to a highly embarrassing contretemps and the subsequent revelation that she was not only recovering from abdominal surgery but bravely fighting cancer.

"The video message when she revealed this was probably the bravest by any public figure about their health in Britain. The lack of a photograph on this occasion simply emphasises her need for time, space and privacy which she expressed so movingly in the message and, after the misunderstandings of recent weeks, this should be universally understood."

Kate's tradition of baking a cake

Back in 2019, when appearing on A Berry Royal Christmas with Mary Berry, Kate shared that her favorite tradition was baking a cake to commemorate her kids' birthdays at the stroke of midnight.

"I love making the cake," the mom-of-three gushed. "It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up 'til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it."

She also revealed that her other two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were just as ready to get their hands dirty and contribute to their baking adventures.

"I've done that with George and Charlotte – making pizza dough," Kate told the former Great British Bake Off judge. "They love it because they can get their hands messy."

Louis' private birthday celebrations

Louis goes to Lambrook School in Berkshire with his brother and sister and has recently returned to the classroom after the Easter break.

It is likely a family birthday celebration, perhaps involving the prince’s grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton, will be held after the youngster’s school day is over.

His cheeky public appearances

William and Kate’s youngest child is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St George’s Day, April 23, 2018, at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz.

He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace in front of friends and family.

In his short, yet eventful life, Louis has joined his family on a few public outings and never fails to become a talking point due to his playful nature. His most memorable appearances so far have been monkeying around at the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant, where he was seen pulling faces and playing on his mum Kate's lap.

He's also displayed some lively facial expressions during his various Trooping the Colour appearances, including in 2023, when he appeared to be shouting and covering his ears as the RAF military flypast whizzed over the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Louis' 'wild side'

Princess Diana's astrologer and confidante, Debbie Frank, explained that Louis' "wild side" was written in the stars.

Speaking exclusively to HELLO!, she said: "Louis is born to be his own person. His birth chart doesn't share the astrological blueprint usually associated with the steadfast, sensible sign of Taurus. Louis's Taurus qualities are overlit by Uranus, the wild child planet, which was positioned close to his Sun when he was born.

"This means that he is disinclined to follow the herd (in this case royal protocol). He is likely to shake things up, add some mischief and disruption into the mix."

Describing Louis as a "breath of fresh air" who "provides some light relief from the stiff and staid royal line-up," she added: "He's so engaging, playful, cheeky, and utterly himself that people fall in love with his court jester antics. He is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone's faces, even though he is openly seen to remonstrate with his parents at royal events.

"His is an affectionate and loving personality with Venus in Taurus, Cancer rising, and the Moon in Leo. He is a crowd pleaser even though he breaks the royal mould. Adorable and engaging, he is easily forgiven, and his attractive personality magnetises a lot of attention."

The one person to make Kate 'lose her cool'

Debbie also noted that young Louis is the one person who can make his mother Kate "lose her cool".

"Undoubtedly, Louis' determined Mars in Capricorn creates a fractious frisson with Kate's Sun in the same sign. He is the one person who can make her lose her cool! Kate is very self-disciplined and taming her little tiger cub is a challenge for her."