Prince Louis has become a popular figure in the Royal Family, despite being the youngest of the Waleses. The young prince has charmed royal fans worldwide with his behavior during his few public appearances, but certain experts have warned Prince William and Kate Middleton that this could backfire in the future.
This year has been a challenging one for Prince Louis, his siblings, and his parents, as his mother, Kate Middleton, received treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. Luckily, the Princess of Wales responded is today cancer free, and just days ago, got to engage in one of her favorite events, her Christmas concert.
The yearly event sees the entire Wales family in attendance, Prince Louis included. All three children got to write special Christmas notes, and cameras discovered that Louis had something truly memorable written down. So impactful were the words on his note, in fact, that they’re now being shared worldwide.
Prince Louis and his siblings have had a tumultuous year to say the least. Kate Middleton received a cancer diagnosis in February, and in March, shared the news with the world. Royal fans were left in shock over the news of Kate’s cancer following her brave video message.
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery to start my treatment,” Kate said. “But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be ok. 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.”
Kate added later in the video: “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
Kate spent a lot of time with her children during her recovery. The family often traveled to their country estate, Anmer Hall, where they could be far away from the public spotlight. In September, in an emotional video appearing with Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales gave the fantastic news that she was finally cancer-free.
Prince Louis beautiful note to his grandparents at Carol Service at Westminster Abbey
In recent months, Kate has appeared several times in public, and while the beloved princess has been cleared of cancer, she is taking her return to the royal spotlight at a steady pace. As a result, many wondered if she would attend the yearly Christmas concert in Westminster Abbey. Kate has staged her Together At Christmas carol service for four years – and it was evident she wouldn’t miss this year’s festive concert either.
Alongside Prince William and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey. But as many times before, it was her youngest son, Prince Louis, who stole the show.
Of course, every public appearance by George, Charlotte, and Louis is special. The trio appeared together for Trooping the Colour earlier this year, and their mother’s Christmas concert has become a family tradition.
When the royal children arrived at the Abbey, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all had written notes to put on a so-called ‘Kindness Tree’. Placed outside Westminster Abbey’s west door, it allowed guests to hang their messages on its branches in honor of someone who had supported them during their lives. The theme for the Christmas service was love and empathy, and Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis all had written their own notes.
The youngest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton also wanted to thank someone, and Louis’ note was captured on camera. Louis thanked his “Granny and Grandpa,” believed to be Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, “because they have played games with me.”
Prince Louis kept a Carol service secret from his sister
Michael and Carole Middleton have been crucial for the Wales family during Kate’s cancer treatment. They have been known to host sleepovers for the royal children, and in an interview with Good Housekeeping, Carole opened up about how she wants to be as a grandmother.
“I want to run down the hills, climb the trees and go through the tunnel at the playground,” she said. “As long as I am able to, that’s what I’ll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides.”
Louis wore a red tie, like his older brother, which matched their mother’s red coat. They all lit candles and sang along to the Christmas carols. But while it appeared as if Louis was “just another guest” at the Christmas concert, his mother revealed that he actually had quite an important role beforehand.
Sky News shared that Kate Middleton spoke with singer Paloma Faith, who performed at the concert, saying that Louis helped her pull off a big surprise for his older sister, Princess Charlotte. At the concert, dancers from the Royal Ballet performed. Charlotte has had a significant interest in ballet for many years—and took ballet lessons as well—and it turned out to be a great Christmas surprise. Prince Louis knew it beforehand, but could not tell her the secret.
“Louis knew about the dancers and was talking about them over tea,” Kate told Paloma Faith, “I said ‘Louis, can you keep a secret, because I want it to be a surprise for Charlotte, who loves her ballet.’ And he said ‘promise, promise I won’t say anything.’”
“Mummy, please can I tell her”
Prince Louis is only 6 years old, but has already proven himself to be a boy you can trust. It turns out he is excellent at keeping secrets.
“He’s kept the secret! This is what? Maybe two weeks,” Kate added. “Very challenging.”
While the youngster could keep a secret, Kate said her youngest son almost didn’t make it. Louis said he was “bursting” to tell his sister on his way to school.
“And then his morning, he said, ‘Mummy, please can I tell her I’m bursting!’ Kate revealed. “I did the drop-off, and he wanted to tell her. I think, hopefully, he’s kept it, I don’t think he’s said anything.”
Louis will likely never ascend to the English throne, as he sits behind his two older siblings in the line of succession. He, just like Prince Harry, could be seen as a “spare.” The estranged prince wrote his book of the same name three years after leaving royal life behind, in which he outlined his belief that he would never be considered as important as his big brother, Prince William, who is set to become king after King Charles.
Harry also wrote about Prince Louis and his older sister, Princess Charlotte, revealing that he actively worried about their futures. The Duke wrote plainly that he fears they could end up like him, a “spare.” In an interview with The Telegraph to promote his book, Harry chose to discuss William and Kate’s three children.
“Though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare,” Harry said. “And that hurts, that worries me.”
Prince William & Kate Middleton’s plan for Prince Louis
Harry continued: “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy, I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow. This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter.”
Spare marked the first time Harry spoke so openly about William and Kate’s children, and it wasn’t long before certain royal experts warned him about doing it more often. While Prince Harry enraged his brother and Kate Middleton with many of the allegations and comments made in his book and earlier interviews, royal expert Jennie Bond says that the Prince and Princess of Wales “must be acutely aware” of the problems that could come with Prince Louis—and Princess Charlotte—being a “spare.”
“They have already shown that they have a different and modern attitude to bringing up royal children and I’m sure they will do everything to make Charlotte and Louis feel every bit as special, loved and valued as George,” Bond told the Mirror.
“I imagine they will encourage Louis to explore life outside the royal fold… it could be the military, but it could also be working in the charity world or whatever he finds appealing after his education is finished. I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University, which they both enjoyed and where, of course, they found love.”
The royal expert continued: “And from there they will want him to find a life that is meaningful to him as well as appropriate for the son of a future King. They will try to ensure that he feels he is living a life of value, irrespective of his place in the line of succession and that will probably involve service of some kind as they have emphasised from the start that they want their children to understand that having empathy with others is not only a kindness, but is rewarding as well.”
“Don’t want history to repeat itself”
Speaking to OK!, per Yahoo, Camilla Tominey, royal expert and associate editor at The Telegraph, claimed William and Kate Middleton will want Charlotte and Louis to “have their own careers” if they want to.
“[William & Kate] don’t want history to repeat itself and Prince Louis seem like a royal hanger-on and go down the Duke of York path,” she told the Telegraph.
“A lot of the more minor royals have got careers of their own so they aren’t really being tax payer funded,” she continued. “The extent to which the Cambridges have tried to normalise the lives of their children very much points in the direction of – yes, Prince George has his destiny mapped out but Princess Charlotte and Louis’ having their own careers?’”
Tominey concluded: “They’ve got to get the balance right of what their own children want to do with their lives and their royal commitments.”
