The Royal Family Rite Of Passage That Still Eludes Prince Louis
People are still talking about how Prince Louis of Wales stole the show at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. The youngest son of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Prince and Princess of Wales, made his carriage debut with his siblings, Prince George of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales. Wearing a blue mini sailor suit that his father also wore to the Trooping the Colour in 1985 (per People), Louis enthusiastically waved to the crowd and was captured sticking his tongue out and pulling animated faces (via the Daily Mail).
And that was just the beginning. While standing on the royal balcony to watch the flypast of the aircrafts, Prince Louis covered his ears and his eyes, pulled down his cheeks, and was sometimes seen shouting or frowning. At another event, Louis was caught having a tantrum and making faces at his mother. At one point, he attempted to put his hand over Kate's mouth to silence her.
Despite his sometimes naughty behavior, William and Kate made light of Louis' performance at the jubilee. "What a fantastic weekend of celebrations. Seeing people across the nation coming together with family, friends and loved ones has been extremely special," they posted on Twitter. "We all had an incredible time, especially Louis..." which was accompanied by the eyes emoji.
Still, it's not surprising that William and Kate decided to leave Louis home for Queen Elizabeth's funeral, per Hello! And the young prince has still yet to experience a royal rite of passage.
Prince Louis has yet to go on a royal overseas tour
While his older brother and sister have both been on an official foreign tour, Prince Louis of Wales has yet to participate in this royal rite of passage. Both Prince George of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales traveled overseas with their parents, Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Prince and Princess of Wales. According to the Mirror, George was 10 months old when he visited New Zealand and Australia in 2014, while Charlotte — who was born in 2015 — joined her older brother and parents on their journey to Canada in 2016, and Poland and Germany in 2017.
Even Louis' younger cousin Archie — the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex — has made an official trip. He accompanied his parents to South Africa before they stepped down from their royal duties.
The pandemic has likely played a role in Louis' lack of travel. There are rumors that all three Wales children could accompany William and Kate to the United States in December if their school schedule allows. The royals will be in Boston for the second annual Earthshot Prize Award ceremony, and they will also reportedly pay a visit to New York, per US Weekly. And while George and Charlotte are expected to attend the coronation of their grandfather, King Charles III (per Express), we'll have to wait to see if Louis also makes an appearance.