How "Grandpa Wales" King Charles Is Connected in a Special Way to Prince Louis

King Charles sitting in a chair wearing a blue suit and a blue tie with Prince Louis, dressed in a white shirt, on his lap — (Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles might wear the crown, but one of his most treasured titles is "Grandpa Wales." With five of his own grandkids and another five step-grandchildren from Queen Camilla, The King has more than enough little ones to keep him busy. Beyond official duties and ceremonial robes, he's reportedly the king of silly voices during bedtime—and he shares an extra special connection to 6-year-old Prince Louis.

Royal watchers couldn't get enough of the grandpa/grandson moments displayed during Queen Elizabeth's 2022 Platinum Jubilee—especially when little Louis hopped on his grandpa's lap at the Platinum Pageant. The spirited toddler's antics kept everyone smiling throughout the festivities, especially the now-King.

While the monarch entered the world as Charles Philip Arthur George, young Louis has an extremely similar name: Louis Arthur Charles. While King Charles doesn't share the moniker of Louis in his (extra-long) name, the little prince's first name is a tribute to Charles's beloved uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was murdered by the IRA.

Queen Camilla in a white suit and King Charles sitting in chairs with Prince Louis sitting on The King's lap — The King and Queen enjoyed some time with Prince Louis during Queen Elizabeth's 2022 Platinum Jubilee.

King Charles wearing a tan coat standing next to Prince Louis while leaving church on Christmas Day 2023, with Prince George and Princess Kate standing behind them — King Charles is seen leaving church with Prince Louis, Prince George and Kate Middleton on Christmas Day 2023.

Prince William's full name is William Arthur Philip Louis, making little Louis's name even more special.

Although Prince Louis isn't often seen in public, he makes appearances at major royal events like Trooping the Colour and the annual Christmas Day walk to church. He even interacted with fans this year, accepting a variety of sweet toys and other gifts from well-wishers lining the route to church.

Louis also joined in the festivities during his grandpa's 2023 coronation, wearing a miniature uniform and waving to fans from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

In recent days, the soon-to-be 7-year-old showed off a secret talent, snapping a photograph of mom Princess Kate for World Cancer Day. And it seems that he shares his grandpa's love of art, having sketched an adorable portrait of his mom that she proudly shared on Instagram this month.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.