Prince Louis Wore His First Pair of Sneakers — and We've Got an Exclusive Discount!
On the evening of his second birthday, Prince Louis joined his parents and siblings for a very special cause — to salute the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of the weekly “Clap For Our Carers” campaign — now in its fifth week in the U.K. — Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Louis gathered outside their home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk on April 23 and clapped in unison on their front doorstep in a sweet moment that they shared with the world.
“It was a wonderful moment and it shows that truly everyone is rooting for the health service workers,” Sophie Mirman, founder and creative director of Trotters, tells PEOPLE, adding: “It makes the nation feel everyone is in this together, regardless of who they are.”
Louis was adorable in Kate’s arms wearing a navy blue sweater (a bargain supermarket find!), shorts and his first pair of sneakers — a family favorite called the Hampton Canvas Nantucket from Trotters, one of Kate’s go-to shops for children’s clothing and shoes.
As a special royal treat, PEOPLE readers can enjoy a 20% discount off all Hampton Canvas Plum sneakers from Trotters with the code: HAMPTON20.
“When any of the royals wear something, it goes completely viral for us,” says Mirman, who founded the company in 1990 with her husband Richard Ross. “We had an overnight spike in sales from last night, especially from the States, it looked like a Himalayan mountain curve!”
Dressed casually and wearing various shades of blue (the colors of the U.K.’s National Health Service), the Cambridge family, led by Charlotte who started clapping first, smiled as they joined millions of families around the U.K. clapping together in a show of unity and thanks to those sacrificing their lives during the health crisis.
And it’s not just Louis who loves the canvas sneaker, George and Charlotte have been wearing exactly the same shoe (including the brand’s Martha and Plum style) since they were toddlers. Kate herself owns several pairs. The royal mom wore the Hampton Canvas Plum style in white to play cricket during a tour of Pakistan in October.
RELATED: Kate Middleton Jokes Prince Louis ‘Is the Only One Who Looks Like Her’ — and ‘She Loves It’
“Unfortunately, I don’t think we go up in big enough sizes to fit Prince William, but it has been lovely to see the rest of them in our shoes,” says Mirman, who is celebrating the brand’s 30th anniversary this year.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Handmade in Spain, the sneakers, which start from $28, are 100% natural; made from natural cotton and natural rubber roles, they are also machine washable and go up to a U.S. size 9.5.
“They are super comfortable and they go with anything, you can dress them up or down, it’s a shoe for all occasions,” says Mirman, who says she was inspired by the colors of Provence for the latest collection, which includes pretty floral prints.
Trotters
William also took part in a comedy sketch with the actor and comedian Stephen Fry for the BBC as part of their fundraising telethon, The Big Night In, which raised more than $33 million for key workers. “
Seeing Prince William with Stephen Fry was great, he was absolutely game for the show and very funny to watch actually!” says Mirman. “From the Queen giving her amazing speech to seeing William and Kate talking to school kids, I just think it’s fantastic.”
Prince George also wore a pair of Trotters slippers to meet President Obama in 2016; and a pair of their tartan trousers in an official portrait for Christmas. Mirman says she’s always delighted to see the royal children in her designs.
Ranald Mackechnie
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
“When Prince George was photographed wearing our trousers at Christmas, that was four generations of royals in that picture and he’s wearing our trousers! We all love that photograph, it’s just wonderful!”
