Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, celebrated Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31, by sharing an unseen throwback photograph of their youngest child, Prince Louis. The social media update marked the royal couple's first-ever official post dedicated to the autumn holiday, featuring a lighthearted image captured behind the camera by Kate herself.
A look at the Prince Louis Halloween photo
The image shared on the couple's official Instagram account shows Prince Louis when he was just one year old. In the snapshot, the young royal smiles as he crouches on the ground in front of a large pumpkin, appearing ready to lift it up.
"Happy Halloween! 🎃," the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote in the accompanying caption. The post also credited the picture to the mother of three: "Prince Louis, aged 1, photographed by The Princess of Wales."
Louis, who is now 8 years old, frequently charms royal watchers during public appearances. Royal observers quickly noted that while the family often releases portraits for birthdays and significant national events, a holiday-themed social media greeting for Halloween represents a new gesture for the Wales household.
How the Wales family marks Halloween
While this marks their initial public social media post for the occasion, Prince William and Princess Kate have celebrated Halloween privately with their children for several years.
2019 costume shopping: Shoppers in Norfolk spotted Kate browsing costumes with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at a local supermarket ahead of the holiday, according to People magazine.
2022 trick-or-treating: London resident Jay Rutland photographed Kate taking her children door-to-door in their neighborhood to collect candy, sharing the moment online as an example of the family's down-to-earth approach, according to Hello! magazine.
2026 social media debut: The couple shared the private snapshot of Louis to mark the holiday publicly for the first time.
Recent milestones for the royal children
The throwback photo comes during an eventful autumn for the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
Louis marked his eighth birthday earlier in the year on April 23. To observe the occasion, the family maintained their tradition of releasing a new portrait, taken by royal photographer Matt Porteous. The palace also shared a video compilation showing Louis playing cricket and jumping into the sea at Holkham Beach in Norfolk, a frequent retreat near their Anmer Hall residence.
As the fourth in line to the British throne, Louis follows his older siblings and his father in the royal line of succession. Meanwhile, his older brother George marked a major educational transition in September when he began boarding school at Eton College, the historic institution Prince William also attended as a teenager. William and Kate personally accompanied their eldest son on his first day at the school, located close to their family home in Windsor.
Princess Charlotte has also been seen out and about recently. Earlier in October, she joined her mother for an outing in London, traveling on the public Elizabeth line subway to Tottenham Court Road station alongside daily commuters.
Kate's tradition of family photography
Princess Kate has long handled personal family photography, regularly stepping behind the lens to capture official portraits of her children rather than relying solely on palace staff photographers. The release of the pumpkin picture highlights her continued passion for documenting candid family memories.
The brief Halloween message delighted royal followers, offering a nostalgic look back at the young prince's toddler years while maintaining the family's privacy around their current holiday celebrations.
