I Looked at Dozens of Prince Louis Photos from This Weekend and I Couldn't Believe What Was Missing in All of Them

Over the weekend, all of Britain turned out for the annual Trooping the Colour, the event that marks the sovereign's birthday. King Charles was joined by senior members of the royal family, including Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Duchess Sophie and the Prince and Princess of Wales, for a day full of festivities. While I clocked Princess Catherine's reference to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, almost immediately, it was after combing through dozens of photos of her youngest child, Prince Louis (8), that I noticed something missing in every single one.

Over the years, Prince Louis has earned a somewhat mischievous reputation. The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales has historically made few public appearances due to his age, but each time he has been in attendance, there's been something delightfully silly afoot. I mean, the kid loves to make a scene. (See his 15 most meme-worthy moments here.) Whether he was covering his mom's mouth (the kid version of "shut up," perhaps?) or pulling myriad faces of his own, the elementary schooler has delighted royal fans with his unfiltered expressions. (Likely to his sister's chagrin.)

So as I combed through hundreds of photos from Trooping the Colour, I was quite surprised—even disappointed—that Prince Louis hadn't left us one crumb. The silly faces were missing entirely. Instead, this weekend, he was as serious as his older siblings, straight-faced while sitting next to his mother during the carriage ride and while standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the fly-by.

If I'm being honest, I'm a little sad. Prince Louis is leaving behind the carefree days of childhood and is beginning to enter public life with a new awareness of his family and their history. I suspect this is just the beginning of the sobering up. But if this is any indication, it shows that Prince Louis, along with Princess Charlotte, will be steady support systems for Prince George as prepares to ascend the throne.