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Prince William Reveals Prince Louis’ Musical Talent
So often it looks as if Prince Louis just isn't having it.
But as the youngest of Kate Middleton and Prince William's three children, there really isn't any reason for him to have it.
And since he's still only 8, as of April 23, he's got some time before he has to at least feign having it.
His parents agree, having turned down the chance for their conker-collecting aspiring drummer, who was born Louis Arthur Charles, to be honorary patron of the World Conker Championships last year.
But going by how he's been crushing the Buckingham Palace balcony wave, Louis' already got it.
"I keep thinking Louis is a baby," Kate mused in October 2022, two months before her littlest prince made his debut walk to church on Christmas, "but he's a big boy now."
Extending his reign as resident scene-stealer, he proceeded to nonchalantly yawn his way through grandfather King Charles III's May 6, 2023, coronation as if he didn't have a care in the world.
But Louis' family—which also includes his brother Prince George, 12, and sister Princess Charlotte, 10—was on the precipice of having exponentially more cares than any of them could have envisioned.
The king announced Feb. 5, 2024, that he'd be undergoing treatment for cancer. And Kate shared less than two months later that she was having preventative chemotherapy after her own cancer diagnosis.
Neither she nor her kids made any public appearances until Trooping the Colour that June.
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It was even hard for the world to adjust to not seeing Kate all the time, her relatively brief retreat from the public eye in 2024 leaving just enough time for all sorts of unhinged conspiracy theories to spring up in her absence. Meanwhile, she understandably wanted to keep her condition private to focus not just on her treatment, but on her family.
As she explained in her unprecedentedly candid March 22, 2024, video message, it had taken time to break the news to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that was "appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK."
Louis' 6th birthday was heralded with the release of a new portrait taken by Kate, as usual, though when it arrived on the Prince and Princess of Wales' social media accounts a few hours later than in past years there was speculation that the family might be feeling a bit camera-shy after Kate's U.K. Mother's Day snafu. (She apologized for overdoing it with the Photoshop after a picture of her and the kids that she posted for the holiday was deemed too manipulated to be distributed by the Associated Press and other agencies).
Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage
But the family rang in 2025 with decidedly better news, Kate announcing that she was in remission while still focused on her recovery.
"As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know," she said in a statement, "it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to."
Bit by bit, Kate's schedule got busier, and earlier this month she and William attended the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel with their kids—alongside Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family—for the first time since 2023.
When it comes to celebrating birthdays, however, they keep festivities private—but Kate has shared that she always bakes to mark the days she was delivered of George, Charlotte and Louis.
"It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up till midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much," she told host Mary Berry on the BBC's A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019. "But I love it."
YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
As for the brass tacks of his day-to-day, Louis attends Lambrook School in Berkshire with his brother and sister, their parents enrolling all three in September 2022.
The family of five, which had been splitting time primarily between Kensington Palace and their Anmer Hall estate in Norfolk, took up residence at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to be closer to their new school before moving last year into the more spacious Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Sadly, the children started at Lambrook the day their great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II died, which is why Kate didn't immediately accompany William to Balmoral in Scotland, where family members flocked after hearing the monarch's health was failing.
After dropping the kids off and picking them up, Kate joined the rest of the royals. (No word on whether Louis—who at 20 months, his mum said in 2019, loved to insist "me, me, me" and wanted to go everywhere with her—had any first-day jitters.)
While greeting those who'd come to pay their respects outside Windsor Castle on Sept. 10, 2022, Kate was overheard saying, "My little Louis, he's so sweet, he's like, 'Mummy don't worry, she's now with great-grandpa.'"
As that preciousness sunk in, Kate added, "It just shows you how special she was to everybody, all generations."
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
At the time, Kate wasn't averse to adding to the youngest generation, admitting she felt "very broody" during a February 2022 visit to Copenhagen's Children's Museum.
"William always worries about me meeting under 1-year-olds," she said. "I come home saying ‘let's have another one.'"
The Prince of Wales had indeed joked in January 2022, as Kate held a newborn during a visit to Clitheroe Community Hospital, "Don't give my wife any more ideas! No more!"
ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images
Louis, at least, may have been all for having a little sibling.
Kate told BBC Breakfast in July 2020—when staying at home was still the order of the day during the pandemic—that her then-2-year-old "doesn't understand social distancing. He goes out wanting to cuddle anything, particularly any babies younger than him."
Samir Hussein/WireImage
But it sounds as though William and Kate have their hands full with their existing brood.
“What I’ve been amazed by is how much my children already have inherited my family’s love of music," William shared on Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk series in 2021. "Most mornings, there’s a massive fight between Charlotte and George as to what song is played in the morning. And I have to, now, basically prioritize that one day someone does this one, and another day it’s someone else’s turn.”
More recently, during a September visit with a youth group in London, William noted that he himself was not a drummer, but "if my youngest was here, he’d have a go because he’s practicing at the moment."
At some point Louis will have to work, but until then he can proverbially bang on the drum all day.
Keep reading to catch up with the biggest royal news of 2026 so far:
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested on Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest came amid renewed controversy over Andrew's alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.)
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Prince William and Kate Middleton Break Silence on the Epstein Files
The Duke and Duchess of Wales spoke out amid the release of millions of documents in connection with Jeffrey Epstein, sharing their support for the victims of the late convicted sex offender.
"I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations," a Kensington Palace spokesperson shared in a statement obtained by MS NOW Feb. 9. "Their thoughts remain focused on the victims."
LISE ASERUD/NTB/AFP via Getty Images
Marius Borg Høiby, Son of Norway's Crown Princess, Arrested Ahead of Rape Trial
Marius Borg Høiby—the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and step-son of Crown Prince Haakon—was arrested Feb. 1 for assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order, Oslo police confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press.
The 29-year-old—who does not carry a royal title or official duties—is being kept in detention for up to four weeks over risks of reoffending after the Oslo district court granted the request. His attorney Petar Sekulic told the outlet that they are considering appealing the decision.
Høiby is expected in court Feb. 3 as part of a separate indictment regarding four alleged rapes between 2018 and 2024, as well as two alleged acts of violence against a partner and violating a restraining order.
His defense team addressed the allegations in a statement to the AP, saying that Høiby "denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence."
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Flora Vesterberg, Queen Elizabeth's Cousin, Announces Pregnancy
Flora Vesterberg, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin Princess Alexandra, announced that she is pregnant with her and husband Timothy Vesterberg's first baby.
"Delighted to share that Timothy and I are expecting our first child," she wrote on Instagram Jan. 19. "We're truly over the moon."
Photo by Brook Mitchell / AFP via Getty Images
Prince Harry Appears in Court for Lawsuit Against U.K. Tabloids
Harry appeared at London’s High Court Jan. 19 for the start of what is expected to be a weeks-long trial against Associated Newspapers—the media group that publishes the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, and Mail Online—over allegations of unethical newsgathering tactics
Other stars including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and Sadie Frost are also taking aim against the publishing company in the lawsuit.
Associated Newspapers has “vigorously denied” the claims, according to the BBC.
Instagram/Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Celebrate 10 Years Together
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated ten years together by sharing a romantic black and white video of themselves dancing in their backyard.
Set to Olivia Dean’s “So Easy (To Fall In Love),” the couple revealed that the clip was recorded by none other than their 4-year-old daughter Lilibet. Alongside a camera emoji, Meghan—who also shares 6-year-old son Archie with Harry— added in the caption of the Jan. 16 Instagram post, “cred: our daughter.”
The couple also shared a throwback photo from their first year of dating. In the adorable snap, the pair embraced each other during a nature-filled getaway.
“When 2026 feels just like 2016….,” Meghan wrote in the caption. “You had to be there.”
Photo by Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images
Princess Irene of Greece Dies at 83
The Greek royal family’s private office announced Jan. 15 that Queen Sofia of Spain’s sister died at the age of 83.
As the statement read, "It is with deep sadness that the Greek Royal Family announces that HRH Princess Irene, beloved sister and aunt, passed away on Thursday, January 15th 2026, at 11:40 local time, in Zarzuela Palace in Madrid surrounded by loved ones."
Her funeral was held Jan. 19 at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens following her death, with the burial at the Royal Cemetery of Tatoi.
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Kate Middleton Celebrates Her Birthday With Moving Message
On her 44th birthday, the Princess of Wales shared a message on the power of nature to heal.
“Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration,” Kate said in a voiceover alongside footage of snowy landscapes in her Jan. 9 video. “Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection, to discover the deepest parts of ourselves, alongside the whispers and the pulse of every living thing.”
She added, “I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am. For the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify, come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive, to be at one with nature—a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides in memory helping us to heal in.”
(Photo by Isabel Infantes / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Kate Middleton Makes Surprise Appearance With Prince William
The Princess of Wales marked her first public appearance of 2026 as she joined her husband during an engagement at the Charing Cross Hospital in London. The outing in support of healthcare workers came almost a year after she announced she was in remission following her cancer diagnosis.
This story was first published on Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 2 a.m. PT.
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