Prince Louis delighted royal fans on Wednesday when a brand new portrait of the young royal was unveiled in honour of his seventh birthday.
Whilst there's no denying the photograph came complete with Louis' usual cheeky charm, the image sparked a major reaction from fans who couldn't believe how much he had changed.
Weighing in on the new snap, one fan couldn't believe how much the youngest Wales sibling has inherited his "Middleton genes", writing: "Such a lovely photo, strong Middleton genes there."
© Josh ShinnerOthers thought the royal was already looking like a teenager with another adding: "He's growing up so fast! He's starting to look like a little teenager already! Wishing him a joyful day filled with love, laughter and cake (lots of it!)."
A third replied: "He looks like a very tall seven-year-old already! Happy Birthday, young man!"
Among the birthday wishes from fans was a special message from his grandfather King Charles.
© Getty Images"Happy Birthday to Prince Louis! [balloon and party popper emoji]," Charles and Camilla wrote in the caption on Instagram Stories.
This year, Louis' beautiful birthday snap was a gorgeous image of the Prince and Princess of Wales's son
son sitting on a log in the middle of bluebell wood, dressed in jeans, a collared shirt and a khaki jumper.
The photo wasn’t taken by his mum, the Princess of Wales, with the royal parents instead choosing A-list photographer Josh Shinner.
It's not the first time the Princess has broken this family tradition - she turned to photographer Millie Pilkington to take Prince George's tenth birthday picture in 2023.
Louis' "Middleton genes"
This isn't the first time the young royal's aforementioned "Middleton genes" have been noticed as many royal watchers have spotted in the past just how much Louis looks like his grandfather Michael Middleton.
"He looks exactly like Grandpa Middleton," one eager royal fan previously commented alongside a photo of Louis. Another fan added: "Prince Louis looks like a replica of Michael Middleton." A third chimed in: "I've always thought that!"
Louis also has an incredibly close bond with his mum Kate, who back in 2023 revealed she has the sweetest name for her little boy: "Lou Bug."
Kate revealed the adorable nickname whilst visiting the Scouts with her three children.
At one moment during the visit, Kate joined a group of children, including her own, to toast marshmallows over an open flame. As the royal mum-of-three helped Prince Louis with the fun task, handing him a stick to discard, she could be heard saying: "Pop that in the fire, Lou Bug."
