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Prince William and his wife Kate have thanked the public for messages sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis.
The Prince and Princess of Wales also issued a picture of Louis on social media to mark the occasion on Tuesday, showing a close-up image of the beaming young prince.
“Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today,” their office Kensington Palace said.
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Kate was credited with taking the picture in Windsor where the family lives.
Louis is the youngest of their three children, with George, aged 10, and Charlotte due to celebrate her ninth birthday in May.
Kensington Palace has for some years released photographs taken by Kate, a keen amateur photographer, to mark birthdays and other family occasions.
However, a picture issued on UK Mother’s Day in March was withdrawn by a number of news agencies because it had been edited, something for which Kate later apologised.
That occurred shortly before the princess revealed she was having preventative chemotherapy after tests carried out in the wake of major abdominal surgery she underwent in January revealed that cancer had been present.
Heir to the throne William has only just returned to official duties since that announcement, and Kate herself will only return to the public spotlight when her medical team says she is well enough to do so.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that the Princess of Wales has been honoured for her public service and support of the arts by the King.
Future Queen Kate, who has been a working member of the royal family for 13 years, has been appointed Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour.
The prestigious appointment is a new one specially created for Kate. She is the first member of the royal family to be appointed a Royal Companion in the order’s 107-year history.
Charles recommended the special honour for his “beloved daughter-in-law”, with appointees to the Companions of Honour in the gift of the Cabinet Office, the palace said.
The decision by the King, who is also being treated for cancer, to suggest Kate for the honour will be seen as a major show of support for the princess amid the challenges she is facing.
Current members include Sir David Attenborough, Margaret Attwood, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, and previously Professor Stephen Hawking and Sir Winston Churchill.
The Order of the Companions of Honour – limited to just 65 people at a time – was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognise outstanding achievements in the Arts, Sciences, Medicine and Public Service.
The honour for Kate recognises her service as a member of the royal family and her support and interest in the arts.