Bonding with Grandpa Wales! Prince Louis Cuddles Prince Charles in Newly Released Portraits
It’s snuggle time with grandpa!
Although royal fans went months without a glimpse of Prince Louis, who was born April 23, they were able to see how Kate Middleton and Prince William‘s third child is growing in family portraits celebrating Prince Charles‘ 70th birthday last week. Now, new snaps from the photo shoot show the adorable relationship between Charles and his youngest grandchild.
The Sunday Times magazine were first to release two new images from the get-together photographed by Chris Jackson, including a shot of Prince Charles grinning ear-to-ear as he holds little Louis in his arms. The youngest member of the royal family flashes a toothless smile with his hand held up to his mouth.
Prince Louis steals the show again in an outtake from the group shots, in which he reaches forward to grab his grandfather’s nose. Charles laughs at the curious baby, while Kate, William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, look on with smiles. (Meanwhile, older siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte seem to have their attention focused on something behind the camera!)
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The photos, which were taken in September outside Clarence House, are the first images of Louis since his christening in July.
Photographer Jackson posted the portrait of Louis and Prince Charles to Instagram, writing, “I’ve spent much of the last year documenting some intimate and ‘behind the scenes’ moments with The Prince of Wales to celebrate his 70th Birthday – It really has been an incredible priviledge to create such a unique set of images and a huge amount of fun at the same time.”
A source tells PEOPLE that Prince William and Princess Kate (in Alessandra Rich) were instrumental in ensuring the date and time for the photo shoot worked for everyone. They had arranged for a quick session, but the family hung around for longer than planned, catching up to swap stories of their summers.
“They pulled out all the stops to make sure everyone was around to be able to do it,” says the source.
Photographer Jackson said in a statement he was “delighted” to be asked to take the images: “It was particularly special to capture such an informal and relaxed family portrait over a fun afternoon in the gardens of Clarence House.”
In a documentary marking Charles’s 70th birthday on Nov. 14, William says his father is “brilliant” with Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince Louis. But William also says he wishes that his dad would slow down enough to be able to spare more time for them.
“It’s something I’m working more heavily on, put it that way,” William, 36, tells Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, which aired on BBC One. “I think he does have time for it, but I would like him to have more time with the children.”
Now that his father has reached his landmark year, “it’s a perfect time to consolidate a little bit,” William says, “as most families would do, you are worried about having them around and making sure their health’s okay. He’s the fittest man I know, but equally I want him to be fit until he’s 95. Having more time with him at home would be lovely, and being able to you know play around with the grandchildren. Because when he’s there, he’s brilliant. But we need him there as much as possible.”
Charles’s wife, Camilla, tells the program that he is great with her grandchildren. “He will get down on his knees and crawl about with them for hours, you know making funny noises and laughing and my grandchildren adore him, absolutely adore him,” she says. “He reads Harry Potter and he can do all the different voices and I think children really appreciate that.”
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Queen Elizabeth made a sweet speech praising her eldest child and heir to the throne at a Buckingham Palace birthday bash on Wednesday, praising Charles’ dedication to saving the environment and raising a family.
“Over his 70 years, Philip and I have seen Charles become a champion of conservation and the arts, a great charitable leader — a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history — and a wonderful father,” the 92-year-old monarch said. “Most of all, sustained by his wife Camilla, he is his own man, passionate and creative.”
“So this toast is to wish a happy birthday to my son, in every respect a duchy original,” Queen Elizabeth concluded, jokingly referring to the company which her son set up in 1990 to sell organic food products. “To you Charles. To the Prince of Wales.”
