The Princess of Wales' similarities to her youngest son, Prince Louis, have been pointed out by fans after the royal released a never-before-seen childhood photograph on Monday ahead of the broadcast of her annual Christmas carol concert, this year dedicated to early years childhood development.
Kate's official social media channels, run jointly with Prince William, by their team at Kensington Palace posted to their X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts on December 18, with a photo of the princess taken during a family Christmas in 1983 when she was nearly 2.
"Sharing some festive memories this Christmas because #ShapingUs 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. 📸 of The Princess, Christmas 1983 ," read the caption with a promotional tag for the "Together at Christmas" carol service, which will be broadcast in Britain on Christmas Eve.
Sharing some festive memories this Christmas because #ShapingUs 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 Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 18, 2023
📸 of The Princess, Christmas 1983
Don’t miss the Together at Christmas Carol Service… pic.twitter.com/YbtYrZIbmt
"Shaping Us" is the name of Kate's early years awareness campaign, which launched in January 2023 through the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. Throughout the year, the royal has attended and hosted events connected with early years causes as part of the campaign.
After the photo was released on social media, fans were quick to point out the similarities between Kate and her five-year-old son, Prince Louis, who in the past year has made an increased number of public appearances, most recently for the Christmas carol service hosted at Westminster Abbey on December 8.
"Wow it's like looking at Prince Louis ❤️✨," one X user wrote of the photograph, with another posting: "Prince Louis is definitely his mummy 2.0😍❤️"
"Oh my goodness! Prince Louis is Princess Catherine! ❤️," another user shared, followed by a further adding: "Just adorable!"
This is not the first time the similarities between the royal mother and son have been pointed out by fans.
In February the princess released a photograph of herself as a baby with father, Michael Middleton, as a part of the same "Shaping Us" awareness campaign, with many commenters at the time noting how alike the young Kate and Louis were facially.
Monday's photograph comes just days after the Wales family social media accounts posted a video of Kate, together with Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (8) and Louis, as they visited a local Baby Bank, a center where items of clothing, toys and supplies are distributed to mothers and babies.
Kate has been connected with Britain's Baby Banks for several years and on a visit in early 2023 reportedly told organizers she hoped to bring her children with her to see the work they do.
In the subsequent video, released on December 11, Kate and her children met with organizers and helped pack donations.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
