Will William and Kate Middleton Release Birthday Portrait of Prince Louis?
Royal watchers have their eyes peeled for a new portrait to celebrate Prince Louis’ 6th birthday — but a photo from Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton might not come following their recent photo controversy.
A source previously told The Sunday Times that the Prince and Princess of Wales hadn’t made a “firm decision” on who will take the picture, but a new royal portrait is set to be released on Tuesday, April 23. (William, 41, and Kate, 42, usually release a new image of their children to celebrate their respective birthdays every year.)
“They appreciate the public’s love and affection for their children and know there is a public appetite to see them on their birthdays,” a royal aide explained to the Times.
The most recent portrait of the royal family included Louis, 5, alongside his siblings, Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 8, as well as Kate. While the image — reportedly snapped by William — shared on March 10 was supposed to be a U.K. Mother’s Day tribute, it quickly created a new headache for the royals when internet users accused the family of editing the snap.
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“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate captioned the image, referencing her ongoing health struggles (which were still being kept under wraps at the time). “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
Hours after it was posted, some outlets reportedly received a “kill notification” to remove the photo. The following day, Kate addressed the image debacle.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she shared in a statement posted via X, using the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official account. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
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The image controversy was exacerbated at the time by social media users who were speculating about the status of Kate’s well-being. After she underwent an abdominal procedure earlier this year, the Princess of Wales was noticeably out of the public eye. As rumors about her health continued, Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous,” she shared in a video released on March 22. “The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”
