Prince Louis rang in his 5th birthday on Sunday, and in honor of the occasion, parents Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a pair of adorable new pictures of their youngest child. Little Louis is all smiles in the photos, but one expert believes the images reveal poignant insight into Kate's feelings at the moment.
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The two photos were shared on the Wales family's official Instagram account
Normally, Kate is playing the role of the photographer and never the subject in these types of shots
Judi couldn't help but notice how unusual it was for Kate to be included in the snaps at all.
"One striking body language point is that Kate is in the birthday pose with her adored son Louis, when she has previously tended to be behind the camera in her children's celebratory snaps, meaning George, Charlotte, and Louis have always been reacting directly to her rather than any external prompting," she said.
We're used to seeing Louis ham it up for the camera
Royal watchers may remember how photos of Louis made headlines last year when he couldn't help but get a little fidgety during the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee events.
It seems Judi believes that these new birthday photos accurately depict Louis' spirited personality, especially when compared to those other shots. "Louis, though, is looking away and smiling rather than at the camera, which is in keeping with his signature levels of social confidence and playfulness," she noted.
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Kate may be in the pictures because she's not ready for her last baby to grow up
Moms everywhere can likely relate to Judi's theory about why it was so important for Kate to get into one of these snaps.
"Kate has chosen to lean into the shot, pushing Louis in a wheelbarrow, and although this is clearly part of a game they are both enjoying, there are enough poignant echoes of the days when she was pushing him in a pram to suggest she might be quietly reluctant to see her third and possibly last child grow up too soon," she explained.
We're totally with you, Kate! Celebrating the birthdays of your youngest child always hits differently. Hopefully Louis had a great time on his special day. We can't believe he's already 5.
