What You Never Knew About Prince Louis

In 2022, Prince Louis went from being the cute youngest son of Prince William and Princess Catherine to becoming one of the best-loved members of the royal family. After the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, Louis quickly shot to fame thanks to his hilarious, rambunctious expressions and his adorable interactions with other members of the family. We all remember him covering his ears during the royal flypast and his cheeky moments with his mother.

Later in 2022, Louis made headlines again for his sweet reaction to his great-grandmother's death, his first day of school, and his fourth birthday portraits. It's clear that Louis is well on his way to being a respected, entertaining member of the family in years to come. And we can't wait for his next adorable public appearance.

In the meantime, here are a few things you may not have known about the U.K.'s youngest prince.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was held on September 19, 2022. While most members of the royal family were there to bid farewell to the late monarch, there was one glaring omission — Prince Louis. According to Hello! Magazine, Louis was likely at home with the family's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

Before the funeral, a source told the Daily Mail that Prince William and Princess Catherine "thought long and hard about whether their children should accompany them. Of course little Louis is too young, but they think George and Charlotte are up to it." 

However, it appears there was a time when Louis was being considered as a potential guest at the funeral. According to the Daily Mail, the original guest list included Louis' name, along with "to be confirmed" in brackets. Some people also pointed out that there appeared to be an empty seat next to Prince William during the ceremony.

One of Prince Louis' biggest moments in the spotlight came in the summer of 2022 during the queen's Jubilee celebrations. The young prince was spotted pulling some hilarious faces during the event and he quickly went viral on social media. We all remember the images of him covering his ears and screaming as the planes flew overhead or making faces at his mother. In fact, his antics were so widely reported, Prince William and Princess Catherine even acknowledged it in their statement at the time. "We all had an incredible time, especially Louis ..." they tweeted. 

Jo Frost, the so-called "supernanny," weighed in on how Catherine dealt with Louis' outbursts. "The whole fanfare will become a little too much when you're young — it was a long day, little moments like this are going to happen, especially if you are strong willed, sensitive and actually I would go as far as to say a highly sensitive child in my professional opinion," she wrote on Instagram, adding, "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are a great example, Catherine has never been afraid to tell the kids to stop in public, I love that about her" (via Marie Claire).

While Catherine seemed to deal with Louis well, royal expert Ingrid Seward believed that all of the attention would have concerned her. "I think it's extremely hard to keep their little feet on the ground ... I think this is a danger Kate's very aware of," she told True Royalty TV. "Louis at the Jubilee became a superstar, but that would have probably worried her a bit" (via Cambridge News).

Prince Louis' first day of school was on September 7, 2022 (incidentally, just a day before the queen, his great-grandmother, passed away). On his first day, Louis wasn't nervous or anxious. In fact, according to body language expert Judi James, Louis appeared to be more than ready to begin his education. "Louis' eyes are fixed forward but his expression is one of determination rather than nervousness about a first day at school," she told The Sun, adding, "He's happy to be in the spotlight and keen to entertain everyone, as we saw at the Jubilee. His arrival is so much different to his brother's." She explained that Louis displayed more confidence than his two older siblings did on their first days of school. 

James also told the Mirror, "Louis might be the youngest sibling but he looks determined to set the tone for the group with this display of confidence, bravery and determination. Spurning the offer of his dad's hand he sets off with the kind of arm swing you normally only see on parade grounds and his eye gaze remains fixed ahead, rather than looking up to check his parents in any gesture of a need for reassurance." It seems that Louis isn't just the cheekiest; he might also be the bravest.

Unlike a "normal" child, Prince Louis probably won't be able to do just anything he wants once he grows up. He may be only four years old (as of 2022), but his life trajectory has already been planned out. As royal commentator Carmen Sandi told the Express, he will likely be joining the military. "Prince William joined the Army, Prince Charles joined the Navy and Prince Harry served in the Air Force," Sandi said. "If you're sensing a theme, you'd be absolutely right. Men in the Royal Family aren't just encouraged to join the military, it's expected of them. They may not have to worry about that now, with George and Louis still being as young as they are but, eventually, this is something they will have to consider doing as they get older." In other words, Louis will likely need to choose a branch of the U.K.'s army to join after he leaves university. 

As for his more immediate future, some sources report that it's likely that Louis and his brother Prince George might attend Eton College like their father before them.

Prince Louis is, as we know, from one of the most famous, well-off families in the world. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that he has already received a number of very extravagant gifts. In 2021, The Times reported that he and his siblings had all been given their first ponies. Apparently, the three children spent much of lockdown learning to ride and taking a "hands-on" approach to taking care of the horses. The ponies reportedly came shortly after the death of the family's cocker spaniel, Lupo. 

But a pony isn't the only special gift Louis has received. According Hello! Magazine, he and his siblings were given a life-sized playhouse that belonged to the queen, their great-grandmother. 

And, according to The Sun, Louis' uncle, Prince Harry, gave him a first edition of A. A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh" for his second birthday — apparently, the book was worth £8,000 ($7,137) (via Marie Claire).

At four years old, Prince Louis is beginning to develop his own personality and interests. And according to his father, Prince William, Louis' main passion is simply being outside. "Louis just enjoys playing outside the whole time," he told the BBC. "He lives outside." However, as William went on to explain, his children are beginning to understand that the climate crisis is threatening the outdoors that they love so much. "I think it is slowly dawning on them that these things matter," he said. "But I think when you're that young, you just want to have fun and enjoy it. And I feel bad. I don't want to give them the burden of that worry." 

During a conversation with the Mirror, Princess Catherine revealed that Louis is also pretty sporty. In fact, apparently, he's already playing tennis. "George is playing. They're all playing, even Louis who's four. They're all keen," she said.

Ever wondered where Prince Louis got his name? While you might think that Louis sounds more French than English, there is actually a history of the name within the royal family. According to the Mirror, Louis was named after Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was a grandson of Queen Victoria and (as fans of "The Crown" will remember) a mentor for King Charles III when he was younger. In fact, Charles actually chose Louis as one of Prince William's middle names.

While Louis may be named after a famous member of the family, he seems to have made the name his own. According to Reader's Digest, his is often called Lou Lou by his siblings.