Prince Louis charmingly followed his grandpa King Charles’ at Trooping the Colour.
Charles led the royal family onto Buckingham Palace’s iconic balcony to mark the annual celebration of the sovereign’s official birthday on Saturday, June 14.
Alongside the King, 76, were Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
As the crowd cheered below, Prince Louis mirrored his grandpa’s wave, delivering an adorable moment that royal watchers have come to expect from the youngest royal sibling.
As he followed his family off the balcony after the flypast concluded, Louis paused for one last wave to the crowd and turned around to take a final look as his siblings and parents looked straight ahead.
Earlier in the day, the family arrived together by carriage, with Prince Louis sharing coordinated outfits alongside his siblings and parents.
Trooping the Colour is also referred to as the King’s Birthday Parade, during which a performance by the Household Division of the British Army recognizes the sovereign’s official birthday — even though the King won’t actually turn 77 until Nov. 14.
This year’s Trooping the Colour marks King Charles’ third event as the reigning monarch. In 2023, the King brought back the tradition of having the sovereign ride on horseback, a practice discontinued by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, in the late 1980s.
However, last year, King Charles opted to ride in a carriage instead amid his cancer diagnosis and treatment. He did the same at this year’s event as well. The King has been undergoing a regular medical regimen for an undisclosed form of cancer following his diagnosis last February.
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He was hospitalized in March due to a reaction to the side effects of his treatment. The palace said in a statement at the time that “following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer, the King experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital.”
An aide added that the hospitalization was “the most minor bump in the road that’s very much heading in the right direction.”
This year’s Trooping the Colour also follows a major royal first for the King’s grandson Prince George.
On May 5, the 11-year-old royal joined his parents at the Buckingham Palace tea party hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla for veterans and members of the World War II generation. The surprise appearance marked an important milestone as it was George’s first time attending such a formal function.
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