Prince Louis birthday portrait taken by Kate Middleton is released on day he turns 6 – as royals thank fans for ‘all the kind wishes’

Prince Louis is beaming from ear to ear in a cheeky photo released to mark his sixth birthday.

The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales celebrates turning six today, after returning to school following the Easter holidays.

Typically, Kensington Palace will release portraits of the Wales children early in the morning to mark their birthdays, however fans were left disappointed this morning when the social media accounts for Kate and William did not feature any photos of the cheeky six-year-old.

However, the snap of the beaming young prince has now been released, with the account wishing him a very happy birthday. 

The photo was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales, who often photographs her children’s birthday portraits.

The caption reads: ‘Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.’

As the beaming prince looks into the camera, he is lying on his front and looks all grown up with his brunette hair swept to the side, and a smart checked shirt.

He appears to be wearing dark trousers and is lying on a fleeced blanket.

As he flashes his biggest smile, the young prince also appears to have lost a couple of his baby teeth.

Prince Louis was born on April 23, 2018 in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, like his older silings Charlotte and George. 

A statement from Kensington Palace at the time read: ‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. 

‘The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.’ 

Louis’s sixth birthday comes as the Wales family takes time away from the spotlight as the Princess, 42, recovers from abdominal surgery and subsequent cancer treatment.

Mother-of-three Kate revealed in March that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy for a type of cancer that remains undisclosed.

In a heartbreaking video the Princess of Wales detailed how the cancerous cells were discovered, while she was undergoing surgery for a different condition in January.

She explained that she had not spoken out about it earlier because she wanted to have time to ‘explain everything’ to George, Charlotte and Louis and assure them ‘I’m going to be ok’.

This was also the reason the William was forced to pull out of a memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece, as it is understood that this was when the family first found out about Kate’s condition.

In her emotive statement, Kate said: ‘The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present.

‘As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.’

Prince Louis is known for his flair in front of the camera and has previously delighted royal fans with his expressive performances at royal events.

At Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the young royal, then four-years-old, took centre stage as the royal family appeared on the balcony.

Enthralled by the Red Arrows circling overhead, his impression of what appeared to be a pilot saw young Louis showing his expressive side.