Prince Louis’ 7th Birthday Portrait Marks a First for the Young Royal: Spot the Subtle Wardrobe Switch

Prince Louis is ringing in his 7th birthday with an updated wardrobe.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s youngest son turned 7 on April 23, and the Prince and Princess of Wales released a new portrait of him to celebrate the occasion. The snap, captured by photographer Josh Shinner, showed Louis sitting in a sun-flooded garden and smiling to reveal that he lost his two front teeth, but that wasn’t the only discreet detail that showed Louis is getting older.

The little prince wore a green sweater with a plaid shirt and jeans, marking the first time that Prince Louis wore long pants rather than shorts in a birthday picture.

It’s classic fashion for upper-class boys in Britain to wear shorts with knee socks instead of pants — even in cold weather, such as for Christmas. Both Prince William and Prince Harry wore shorts with long socks when they were young, and Prince George and Prince Louis have taken the trend into the next generation.

Louis’ latest birthday portrait is the first where he is pictured in pants rather than shorts. Until now, the little prince has sported shorts for all of his birthday photo moments, excluding the set taken by Princess Kate when he turned 1 in 2019, in which he wore long baby clothing.

For his 6th birthday portrait issued in April 2024, Louis wore shorts in a picture taken by his mom Kate. When he turned 5, he sported shorts again and rode around in a wheelbarrow pushed by the Princess of Wales.

Prince Louis wore pants for his most recent public appearance on Christmas at Sandringham. There, he matched his older brother George in a navy coat over what appeared to be a suit with a green plaid tie for the royal family’s traditional church outing on the holiday.

The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised followers with another first on Prince Louis’ 7th birthday by posting a video related to the picture. The quick clip shared to social media on April 23 was seemingly filmed during the same photo session for Louis’ birthday picture, where he wore the same clothes and explored the outdoor setting.

The footage rolled to show the birthday boy smiling for a photo, running close to the camera and speaking on screen.

“I can jump now from here?” Prince Louis asked someone behind the camera, before fearlessly hopping over a log.

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The clip closed with a picture of him smiling as he sat on the tree stump. Kensington Palace added the caption, “Seven today!”