Did Prince Louis Break Tradition With Royal First On Christmas?
Prince Louis made a fashion statement on Christmas Day.
Kate Middleton and Prince William’s youngest child joined his parents and siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, for the royal family’s annual church outing on Christmas. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ family coordinated in blue and green outfits, with Louis’ tartan pants tying the look all together.
In addition to earning style points, Prince Louis’ outfit showed just how much he’s grown. While the 5-year-old royal is known for sporting shorts with knee socks (like he did last Christmas), as it is the classic look for upper-class boys in Britain, Louis has recently started to wear long pants. Earlier this month, Prince Louis wore one of his first pairs of pants in his debut at Princess Kate’s annual Christmas concert.
Last Easter, Prince Louis wore his shorts and knee socks with a blazer and tie for the first time, showing that his fashion was changing with his age.
British children’s wear designer Rachel Riley told PEOPLE, “This was the first time we saw his little brother Louis wear a blazer and tie in public, and the fact that the Princess of Wales chose sky blue rather than navy made the outfit more fun and age-appropriate. He also matched perfectly with his mother and sister, something which he can still do as the youngest sibling.”
The blue and green tartan pants might be a hand-me-down from Prince George. For a historic photo with Queen Elizabeth, then-Prince Charles and Prince William that was released in early 2020, George sported very similar tartan pants. The photo was also taken around Christmas when the family gathered for their annual holiday lunch in 2019 before heading to Sandringham.
Before Prince Louis, his big brother Prince George was known for his shorts and knee socks combinations, even in the winter.
The first time that Prince George wore long pants in public was in May 2018 at his uncle Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle. As a page boy, George wore a miniature version of the Blues and Royals coat that Harry and Prince William wore for the ceremony.
READ: Prince George, Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis Show Close Sibling Bond In Affectionate Christmas Snap
By the following year, Prince George veered more towards long pants, including for the traditional Christmas day walk to church in Sandringham in 2019.
Princess Kate, 41, is a big fan of tartan, especially during visits to Scotland. She has chosen to wear the pattern herself on Christmas Day, including in 2018 when she was pregnant with Prince Louis and in 2013 in a blue and green Alexander McQueen ensemble.
The royal mom is also known for her love of recycling outfits, so it’s no surprise that her children utilize hand-me-down clothes from each other.
For the traditional walk to church on Christmas Day, Prince Louis held hands with his dad and Mia Tindall, the 9-year-old daughter of Prince William’s cousin Zara. While Prince George walked independently, Princess Charlotte held hands with her mom.