Kate shares adorable unseen photo from Middleton family Christmas in 1983 - as royal fans gush Prince Louis is her 'twin'

The Princess of Wales has sent royal fans wild after sharing an unseen childhood photo of herself enjoying a family Christmas - with many dubbing Prince Louis her 'twin'.

The royal, 41, shared the picture from the Middleton's family photo album on Instagram this afternoon to promote her Christmas Carol Service, which airs on ITV at 7:45pm on Christmas Eve.

The heartwarming photo was taken in 1983 when the mother-of-three was just one month away from celebrating her second birthday.

In the image, the Princess of Wales is seen wearing a red-and-blue striped dress, navy cardigan and multicoloured beaded necklace.

The royal - who had short brown hair - is seen looking transfixed by something in the distance as she sits at the table.

Behind the royal, there is a dark wood mantelpiece covered in fir tree branches, ribbons and fairylights. 

Five months after this photo was taken, the Middleton family relocated to Jordan for Michael's work before returning to Berkshire in 1986.

The image was captioned: 'Sharing some festive memories this Christmas because Shaping Us is all about the vital importance of our early years and the role played by those around us in shaping the rest of our lives.'

The picture has already amassed over 30,000 'likes' and delighted the royal couple's following - with many drawing comparisons between Kate and Prince Louis.

One gushed: 'Aww what a lovely surprise!! Her Royal Highness was such a cute baby.'

Another gushed: 'Oh wow, I thought it was Prince Louis!'

'Wow, she really copied and pasted Louis,' a third said. 

'Double of Prince Louis,' a fourth said. 

The Christmas Carol Service took place at Westminster Abbey in London on 9 December and was attended by Prince William and the couple's three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

The Royal children were seen stepping in to the event at Westminster Abbey - while five-year-old Prince Louis once again drew attention by blowing out his sister's candle and chatting to a statue outside.

Kate walked around the Abbey before the concert started speaking to young people who have done inspiring activities. 

The Princess herself unveiled a very special festive gift to guests at the concert - a rendition of Last Christmas played on John Lennon's piano.

Before the concert started, Kate met celebrities in the Abbey's stunning 16th century Lady Chapel, and chatting to Broadbent expressed her appreciation at him agreeing to read an extract from Letters From Father Christmas by Lord Of The Rings author JRR Tolkien.

She said: 'Thank you for your time because I know the lead up to Christmas can be busy for people.'

Kate appeared to joke with multi-instrumentalist Collier, who has posted music tutorial videos on YouTube, about her daughter learning the piano and he quipped 'many a plink and a plonk'.

The service began with the popular carol, Once In Royal David's City, and the congregation also heard a duet by Beverley Knight and Adam Lambert who performed The Christmas Song, made famous by Nat King Cole.

William read the passage from the Gospel according to Luke that describes how Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem to be registered and the birth of Jesus.

The Abbey echoed with the voices of its choir and the congregation singing a selection of carols including Silent Night, Holy Night and Joy To The World, as well as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

The historic building featured Christmas trees from Windsor Great Park donated by the King, which will be given to local communities after the service.

The event will be broadcast as part of Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, a special programme airing at 7.45pm on ITV1 and ITV X on Christmas Eve, featuring additional material including an introduction by Kate and films emphasising the importance of early childhood.

This year, the Princess of Wales has stepped up her work on her Shaping Us campaign, which focuses on the importance of early childhood years. 

Kate has previously described the Shaping Us initiative as her 'life's work'.

At a launch event in January, the royal said: 'The campaign is fundamentally about shining a spotlight on the critical importance of early childhood and how it shapes the adults we become. 

'During this time we lay the foundations and building blocks for life. And it is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live.

'This is why it is essential, to not only understand the unique importance of our earliest years, but to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults.'

The initiative is a long-term project of the Princess's, beginning with how a child develops and the importance of the formative years.

It will 'explore in more depth the importance of a child's social and emotional world' and the significance of relationships, 'surroundings and experiences'.

'And of course, by understanding our own childhoods – what has shaped our own beliefs, relationships, behaviours and feelings – we, as adults, are better placed to play our part in positively shaping future generations,' Kate added.