Prince Louis Gives a Royal Wave During Trooping the Colour

The young royal seemed to be having fun while enjoying a carriage ride with his siblings and mom, Kate Middleton.

Prince Louis of Wales during Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London, England.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Louis was all smiles and waves during this year's Trooping the Colour in honor of his grandfather King Charles' birthday.

While enjoying a covered carriage ride during the royal procession, the young 6-year-old royal gave a little wave to onlookers, as reported by the BBC.

Prince Louis waved near the end of the "carriage portion of today's event," the outlet reports, as it was coming to a close and his family prepared for the Horse Guards Parade.

The prince shared the Glass State Coach ride with his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and his mother, Kate Middleton, who made her first public appearance since she underwent planned abdominal surgery in January and later announced she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing preventative treatment.

While Prince Louis appeared to be friendly towards royal onlookers and those in attendance, his sister Princess Charlotte gave fans an, um, different look.

Prince Louis of Wales during Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London, England.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

During her grandfather King Charles' annual birthday event, the young princess gave a look that would likely strike fear in the heart of royal family conspiracy theories, who have been relentless since the Princess of Whales was hospitalized and has remained absent from the public eye.

The look appeared to say: "Don't test me. I am not the one." Apparently, like the Palace and her father, Prince William, the young princess has had enough of the ridiculous theorizing, too.

For the uninitiated, conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton's health, standing within the royal family and even her marriage to Prince William hit a fever pitch after she was hospitalized in January.

Since the Palace announced she would not return to public facing events until the fall (at the earliest), the Palace is reportedly doing all it can to avoid another conspiracy theory debacle.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales during Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace on June 15, 2024 in London, England.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales during Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace on June 15, 2024 in London, England. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The day before King Charles' birthday celebration, the Princess of Wales announced she would be making a surprise appearance at the event.

"I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet. I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty," the Princess of Wales wrote in a statement shared on Kensington Palace's various social media accounts."

"Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.