Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, is growing up quickly and celebrates his sixth birthday today (April 23). Despite making his public debut just hours after his birth on the steps of the Lindo Wing, he's largely been raised away from the public eye.
He has, however, participated in several significant Royal events, including the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, King Charles' Coronation, and last year's Trooping the Colour. Yet, there's one major Royal milestone that six year old Louis hasn't achieved - a milestone his younger cousin, Prince Archie, who resides in America, has already reached.
Louis has not yet embarked on an overseas Royal tour. Travel restrictions due to Covid-19 were in place for much of 2020 and 2021, preventing Louis from travelling abroad when he was a toddler. However, when Archie was just a few months old, he accompanied his parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, on their 2019 Royal tour to South Africa.
There, he stayed with his parents as they fulfilled their duties and even had the chance to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Meanwhile, Louis' older siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte were both considerably younger than their little brother when they went on their first overseas tours. George went on his first Royal tour when he was just nine months old, visiting Australia and New Zealand.
Charlotte made her Royal tour debut in 2016 when she joined the family on a visit to Canada at 16 months old.
It's not known exactly when Louis could make his Royal tour debut, however, last year, he did carry out his first Royal engagement to coincide with King Charles' Coronation. He joined his parents the Prince and Princess of Wales and George and Charlotte for the Big Help Out.
Louis is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St George's Day - April 23 - in 2018 in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz. He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, in front of friends and family.
He attends the private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire alongside siblings George and Charlotte and recently returned to the school following the Easter break. Just before their Easter holidays, mum Kate revealed she is undergoing treatment for cancer in an emotional video message.
Kate Middleton opened up about the "huge shock" when tests revealed cancer after her abdominal surgery, and she described the "incredibly tough couple of months" her family faced. Her voice was tinged with emotion as she spoke in the video.
It's believed that the footage was shared on the same day Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis started their Easter school holidays, a move thought to protect the young royals from media coverage of their mother's health issues.
