“Thank you for all your lovely messages on Prince Louis’ second birthday!” was the caption accompanying the photos on the Kensington Royal account. “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share new photographs of Prince Louis, taken by The Duchess this April.”
Participating in the online trend “Instagram vs Reality” the introduction on the post read exactly that, with two photos of Prince Louis covered in paint. The first showed a closeup of a clean-faced toddler with paint only on his hands, while the second was what happened after he smeared the paint all over his face.
A few hours before their most recent post, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also shared a “sneak peek” of Prince Louis’s “handiwork,” along with a few photos of the toddler smiling outdoors.
Prince Louis has rarely been featured solo on the account, and Thursday’s post has already been liked more than one million times.
The photos were taken at Anmer Hall, where the family is currently residing while social distancing. The Duke and Duchess have been open about the struggles of adjusting their royal duties to also find time to educate and entertain their three young children.
“It’s been ups and downs, like a lot of families self-isolating,” the Duchess said, according to Daily Mail. “George is much older than Louis is and things but they are aware, I’m always surprised.”
Prince Louis’s second birthday quickly follows that of his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her 94th birthday Tuesday from her current home at Windsor Castle.