Kensington Palace has released an adorable picture of Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, to mark his sixth birthday.                 The close-up photo, taken by the birthday boy’s mother, shows Louis beaming as he gazes at the camera while lying on a blanket on the grass, dressed in a cute little shirt and jeans.

“Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today,” the photo’s caption reads.

Prince Louis was born on April 23, 2018, in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, the same hospital where his older siblings, Charlotte and George, were born.

“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well,” a statement from Kensington Palace from six years ago read.

The release of the six-year-old’s birthday picture—a tradition for all three children of Kate Middleton and Prince William—comes after speculation that no photo would be published, given Kate’s health issues.

Kensington Palace has released a photo of Prince Louis for his sixth birthday

Image credits: princeandprincessofwales

In March, the princess revealed that she was undergoing a course of preventive chemotherapy for an undisclosed type of cancer.

In her video, Kate explained that the cancerous cells were discovered following a scheduled abdominal surgery in January.

“The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” the 42-year-old mother 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,” she continued.

Before making her diagnosis public, the mom-of-three was involved in a scandal after admitting that she had personally manipulated a family photo released on Mother’s Day.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Kate wrote, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.

“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. C.”

In her post, sharp-eyed social media users noted that Charlotte’s sleeve looked blurred and some parts of the image’s backdrop didn’t line up properly.

The image was the first official photo of the princess to be released since her surgery in January.

Someone’s turning 5 tomorrow… 🎂 🥳

A very happy birthday to Prince Louis.

📸 Millie Pilkington pic.twitter.com/XPDP2v7QRJ

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 22, 2023

4 years old tomorrow!

📸 The Duchess pic.twitter.com/H5AQoZYibW

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 22, 2022

Prince Louis was born on April 23, 2018, in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital

Image credits: Camera Press

Image credits: BACKGRID UK

Image credits: Camera Press

For the young royal’s previous birthdays, Kensington Palace released pictures of him flashing a cheeky smile while enjoying a ride on a wheelbarrow, as well as snaps of Louis playing on the beach in Norfolk.

People wished the young prince a happy birthday

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