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
The candid shots appear to have been taken in the family's garden. A rosy-cheeked Louis is clearly basking in the glow of his parents' affection as he offers up a big grin for the cameras. One image is a close-up of him, while the other surprisingly features Kate, who appears in the foreground, pushing her son in a wheelbarrow.
"Someone's turning 5 tomorrow," Kate and William's caption said. "A very happy birthday to Prince Louis."
A body language expert has shared her opinion about what the photos could mean
Judi James spoke with Express about the possible significance of Kate's unexpected appearance in one of the pictures.
"This looks like such a sweetly telling shot, with some underlying hints of poignancy as Kate watches her youngest child begin to grow up and become increasingly independent," she explained.
Every parent can relate to the bittersweet emotions that come with seeing your child grow up so quickly.
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.
