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 an adorable photo released to mark his sixth birthday which was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales.

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. It suggests that, as she recovers from chemotherapy, she may be getting back behind the camera.

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 shorts with bare feet 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 since his last official appearance on Christmas Day 2023.

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 while 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.'

The last time royal fans were given a glimpse of Prince Louis, the young prince appeared with his siblings, Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, eight, as they smiled alongside their mother Kate on Mother's Day.

The snap released by Kensington Palace, generated controversy when picture agencies around the world issued 'kill notices', over concerns it had been 'manipulated'.

Both the agencies and eagle-eyed internet sleuths noticed several inconsistencies in the photo, including in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's skirt, her hair, and the zip on Kate's khaki jacket. 

Following the social media storm, the Princess of Wales was forced to issue a statement admitting she had 'edited' the image - which had initially been hoped would quell wild conspiracy theories that had circulated about her health.

In a post on Instagram and X/Twitter, the Princess said: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 

'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. C.'

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. 

Similarly, the youngster charmed audiences around the world with his antics at the concert held in honour of his 'Gan Gan' and her 70-year reign.

During the concert, Louis was seen larking about as he played with his mother and sat on his grandfather King Charles's lap. 

As Kensington Palace celebrated Louis's fifth birthday last year, Kate and William released a snap showing their youngest son's playful side and his strong bond with his mother, as the Princess of Wales was seen pushing him in a wheelbarrow while he gleefully beamed. 

The previous year, another photo of the Prince, taken by Kate, was shared by Kensington Palace which showed him playing on the beach in Norfolk.