Unedited Birthday Portrait: Prince Louis Celebrates Sixth Birthday Amid Cancer Treatment for Mother Kate Middleton

Prince Louis, fourth in line to the British throne, is celebrating his sixth birthday today with the release of a new photo by Prince William and Princess Catherine. The candid image shows an delighted Louis grinning as he lies on a blanket. In contrast to previous years when renowned photographers have captured official portraits for Louis’s birthdays, this year Kate Middleton took the picture herself in Windsor within the last few days during her recovery from cancer treatment. A royal source confirmed that Catherine is responsible for the image and added that they were grateful for the birthday messages received by William, Kate and their three children as well as for the support shown to Kate during this challenging time. The photo’s release comes after a scandal erupted last month when an official family portrait released on Mother’s Day was found to have been manipulated before being withdrawn from circulation due to concerns of alteration at its source. This latest image is unaltered, according to CNN Photo Desk who confirmed that it has not identified any discrepancies or signs of editing in the picture. Louis’s previous birthday pictures taken by Middleton show him laughing during photoshoot sessions in years prior alongside candid images captured by professional photographers such as Mario Testino and Chris Jackson. The youngest member of the royal family was last seen publicly with his mother on Christmas Day at Sandringham estate, where they attended church together.