Prince William and Princess Catherine have thanked the public for messages sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis.

The royal couple issued a picture of Louis on social media to mark the occasion, sharing a close-up image of the beaming young prince. 

It is the first image by Kate to be released since a Mother's Day picture issued in March was withdrawn by a number of major news organisations due to editing.

"Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today," William and Kate's office Kensington Palace said on X.

The picture of Louis was taken by Kate in Windsor where the family lives.

He is the youngest of their three children, with George, aged 10, and Charlotte due to celebrate her ninth birthday next month.

Kensington Palace has often released photographs taken by Kate, a keen amateur photographer, to mark birthdays and other family occasions.

Following the controversy around the altered Mother's Day photo, Kate apologised for the "confusion" caused.

However, the apology only sped up an online and media rumour mill around the wellbeing of the princess, who has been taking time off after undergoing major abdominal surgery in January.

Later that month a second royal photograph taken by Kate and issued to the media in 2022, showing Queen Elizabeth with her grandchildren, was found by agencies Getty and Reuters to have been digitally altered.

Shortly after, the princess revealed she was having preventative chemotherapy after tests carried out in the wake of her abdominal surgery revealed that cancer had been present.

Heir to the throne William has only just returned to official duties after that announcement, and Kate herself will only return to the public spotlight when her medical team say she is well enough to do so.

Souce | Reuters