The Royal Traditions Prince Louis Has Already Broken

Prince Louis has provided royal fans with endless entertainment since he was old enough to make funny faces. Prince Louis' silly personality has notably stolen the show at Trooping the Colour alongside other high-profile events such as his family's church walkabout every Christmas. Given his penchant for innocent mischief, it's hardly surprising that Louis has already broken a few royal rules in his short lifetime. The diminutive prince has made headlines for being quite the social butterfly at Christmas in particular. In 2023, which was only the second time he joined in the tradition, Louis was spotted breaking an unspoken royal rule, namely the one that dictates thou shalt not hold hands with anyone but your parents and siblings. The little prince, who was dubbed a "prime networker" by body language expert Judi James, was spotted holding his cousin, Mia Grace's, hand.

"[This was] a first in terms of breaking the normal sibling-and-parent-based hand-holding at royal events," James confirmed to The Sun. The body language expert also pointed out that Louis was yet to become good at hiding his annoyance while having to wait around. "He stood cross-legged with impatience while he was forced to wait to be greeted by the clergy," she noted. The young boy provided plenty of entertainment to royal watchers during the 2025 Christmas walkabout and church service too. Not only did he make hearts happy by mingling with onlookers and accepting so many gifts that he eventually had to ask his dad, Prince William, to help him carry it all, but we're pretty sure Louis broke some unspoken rule when he loudly replied to the clergyman in church that he'd received some marshmallows for Christmas. Super cute, but probably frowned upon by The Firm.

Prince Louis, like the rest of his family, is always dressed to the nines when he appears in public. And, for a long time, royal watchers noticed that the youngster always donned a pair of shorts, even when the weather wasn't exactly veering towards higher temperatures. Thanks to royal experts, we finally know why Prince Louis always wears shorts. As it turns out, it was because of a certain rule. As etiquette expert William Hanson explained to Harper's Bazaar UK, "It's a very English thing to dress a young boy in shorts." In fact, this dress code actually hints that you are an upper class citizen. 

"Although times are (slowly) changing, a pair of trousers on a young boy is considered quite middle class — quite suburban. And no self-respecting aristo or royal would want to be considered suburban. Even the Duchess of Cambridge," Hanson added. His mom, Princess Catherine, did seem to change her mind about the situation when Louis stepped out sans his usual shorts at the 2024 Christmas carol concert. The young prince was dressed in a full suit, marking the first time he wasn't seen in shorts. 

Usually, young royals swap their shorts for trousers when they turn eight, as royal expert Ingrid Seward told People. Louis was six when he stepped out in his suit. Notably, older brother Prince George was nearing eight when he first donned the formal attire, so Louis is emerging as quite the royal rebel. Of course, there's no telling whether him transitioning to a suit earlier than his older brother was because he begged his mother to let him wear one, or because the Princess of Wales decided it was the right time to do so.

Prince Louis' penchant for breaking royal rules may or may not have something to do with the fact that even his great-grandmother broke some in favor of Louis and his two siblings. The Wales children wouldn't have the HRH titles they currently bear if Queen Elizabeth II hadn't altered King George V's 1917 directive, which indicated that the monarch's great-grandchildren don't get to be bestowed with the prestigious title. Something you probably don't know about Prince Louis is that he would have had the title of Master Louis, if the queen hadn't opted to rewrite this rule. Of course, even if Her Majesty hadn't changed it, Louis and his siblings would have eventually been bestowed with HRH titles when she died and King Charles III took over. The original directive indicated that the titles are automatically given to the monarch's grandchildren. 

Seeing as even the queen bent the rules every now and then, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the younger generation of royals is increasingly more prone to doing so themselves. Louis, in particular, reportedly shares some of his great-grandmother's personality traits too. Former royal butler Grant Harrold told Reach Plc. that the young prince boasts the same "cheeky personality" as the beloved monarch (via Sky News Australia). "The late queen had that cheeky side, and you can see it in Louis," Harrold elaborated. He added that his penchant for mischief is likely not a phase either, surmising, "Royal fans love Louis because of his cheekiness, and I don't think that will change."