Prince Louis made his debut at the Mattinus service for Easter Sunday today. He arrived holding hands with his mother, Kate, Princess of Wales, while his father Prince William and his two siblings, walked on in front. For the occasion, the youngest member of the Wales’ family wore a pair of shorts, unlike his brother Prince George.
Louis shorts were a pale blue, and he wore navy blue knee-high socks too.
He also wore a white shirt, with a patterened tie and a navy jacket, unlike Prince George who wore a dark navy suit with a white shirt and blue tie.
The reason Louis wears shorts and George doesn’t is to do with tradition, an etiquette expert has said.
William Hanson explained why Louis usually wears shorts, compared to a full-length pair of trousers like his older brother.
He said: “It’s a very English thing to dress a young boy in shorts.”
The tradition of boys wearing shorts apparently dates back as far as the 16th century.
William added: “Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England.”
According to the expert, while it’s more common for boys to wear trousers now, it’s still considered “quite middle class – quite suburban” and “no self-respecting aristo or royal would want to be considered suburban”, he told Harpers Bazaar.
Today’s temperature in Windsor was 16 degrees Celsius, despite the blue skies and sunshine, which is arguably still a little chilly for Louis to be wearing shorts.
So much so, his sister Charlotte wore thick knitted tights in a pale blue colour underneath her navy winter coat.
READ: Prince William Comforts Nervous Charlotte In Unseen Video
But, after the service had finished and she left the church, Charlotte was seen without her coat, in her flowery dress and tights, presumably because she was warm.
This isn’t the first time Prince Louis has worn shorts in the colder months of the year; on Christmas Day, he was dressed in a pair of burgandy shorts and navy blue knee-length socks, with a white polo top and a navy winter coat over the top.
As for when Louis will start wearing trousers instead of shorts, according to Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majestymagazine, he will “wear short trousers until [he is] eight”.
“It is shorts until you’re 8 and then ‘woo, you’re in long trousers’.
“They suddenly feel very grown up,” she told People.
George was spotted wearing trousers for the Sandringham Christmas walk in 2019 when he was six years old so Louis might not have to wait until eight years old to wear trousers.
Both Prince William and Prince Harry were often dressed in shorts whe they were little boys and so it is a tradition Kate is following.
English