He grins mischievously at the camera, rages across the beach and plays with a cricket ball: Prince Louis, the younger son of Prince William and Duchess Kate, is celebrating his fourth birthday. To mark the occasion, Kensington Palace has released four new portraits of the boy. The pictures were taken earlier this month on a beach in Norfolk, England, and were taken by his mother.
The 40-year-old broke with the royal tradition a long time ago that the children of the royal family are photographed by official photographers. Instead, she always grabs the camera herself. This creates wonderfully approachable snapshots like the pictures of her son, who is fifth in line to the British throne. At the beginning of May, Royal fans can look forward to new photos: Then Louis’ sister Princess Charlotte celebrates her seventh birthday.