King Charles III may have been the person of honor at this year’s Trooping the Colour, but Prince William and Princess Kate’s kids managed to steal the show.
Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, joined their parents and other members of the royal family at the 74-year-old king’s early birthday celebration on Saturday, June 17. While the Prince of Wales, 40, joined Charles, 74, for the formal review of the British military, the three children rode in a carriage with mom Kate, 41, and step-grandmother Queen Camilla. While waving to the waiting public, Louis pulled an array of funny faces — including one where he plugged his nose.
Louis and his older siblings later joined their parents, Charles, Camilla, 75, Princess Anne and Prince Edward on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the annual Royal Air Force flyover. (Charles’ second son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, were not in attendance at the event.)
George and Louis, for their part, twinned in matching navy blazers with red ties. The pop of crimson matched their sister Charlotte, who looked adorable in her red-and-white dress. The Wales siblings stood in front of their parents on the palace balcony, pointing out the military planes as they flew across the sky.
Saturday’s event marks Charles’ first Trooping the Colour event following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. He ascended the throne upon Elizabeth’s death in September 2022 at age 96 and was officially crowned as the nation’s sovereign during his coronation ceremony on May 6. George served as one of his grandfather’s four Pages of Honour at the Westminster Hall ceremony, while Charlotte and Louis twinned with the Prince and Princess of Wales’ coronation outfits.
Louis complemented William’s formal robes with a royal blue military jacket, while Charlotte looked like Kate’s mini-me in matching white Alexander McQueen dresses and floral headpieces by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen.
The young royals followed up their coronation appearance by participating in The Big Help Out volunteer event on May 8, which marked Louis’ first royal engagement as a working royal. The family of five joined fellow volunteers at the 3rd Upton Scout Group in Berkshire, England, with planting, painting and building.
Louis, for his part, made quite the impression at The Big Help Out, as a video of him chowing down on s’mores went viral. Upon taking a bite of the campfire treat, the young prince danced around in a circle in delight.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s youngest child — and his adorable facial expressions — have made headlines over recent years. At the 2022 Trouping the Colour, Louis covered his ears and screamed as roaring jets flew over Buckingham Palace. The little prince could also be seen chatting to Queen Elizabeth on the balcony.
Charlotte, for her part, was on big sister duties during last year’s Trooping the Colour parade. While sitting in a carriage with Kate and Camilla, 75, the little princess stopped Louis from waving by placing his hand in his lap. The move, however, didn’t keep the mischievous prince from continuing to wave at his mother.
In addition to sharing sweet moments with their parents, grandparents and late great-grandparents, William and Kate’s kids have an adorable connection with each other. Following Louis’ birth in 2018, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Charlotte had a “great bond” with her big brother George, and that “a similar connection is growing between Charlotte and Louis.”
A second insider told Us in July 2022 that George is “very protective of his younger siblings and goes out of his way to help his mother with the household chores, especially when it earns him extra time on electronics!”
In December 2021, William shared some rare insight into his family’s day-to-day life, revealing that George, Charlotte and Louis quarrel just like most siblings. “Most mornings there’s a massive fight between Charlotte and George as to what song is played in the morning,” he revealed in the season 2 finale of his Apple Watch Fitness+ audio show “Time to Walk.”
The Duke of Cornwall continued: “I have to, now, basically prioritize that one day someone does this one, and another day it’s someone else’s turn. So George gets his go, then Charlotte gets her go. Such is … the clamor for the music.”
Scroll below to see photos from Trooping the Colour: