Kate Middleton and Prince Louis volunteer with the Scouts© Getty

Why Prince Louis hasn't joined Prince William and Kate on a royal tour yet

The Prince and Princess of Wales's youngest child turned five in April

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
July 18, 2023

The Prince and Princess of Wales's youngest child, Prince Louis, has delighted royal fans with a number of public appearances in recent years.

From his reactions on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 to his debut at the Christmas Day church service last December, Louis has passed many royal milestones at just the age of five.

Shortly after his grandfather King Charles's coronation in May, Louis even carried out his first official public engagement with his parents and older siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The family-of-five volunteered with a Scout group, with Louis showing much enthusiasm as he shovelled sand, painted a planter base and filled a wheelbarrow, as you can see in the clip below…

WATCH: Prince Louis' first official royal engagement

But there is one milestone the young Prince is yet to reach… his first royal tour.

However, there's a perfectly logical reason as to why Louis hasn't made an official overseas trip yet.

Prince William and Kate's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, all remained in the UK when the couple carried out a five-day visit to Pakistan in October 2019. At the time, Kensington Palace said it was the Prince and Princess' "most complex tour" to date.  

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic made travel difficult for the next two years, with the royals mainly carrying out visits in the UK.

William and Kate carried out their first joint overseas tour since the pandemic in March 2022, where they spent ten days travelling around the Caribbean.

RELATED:  Princess Kate reveals Prince Louis was 'very upset' to miss Wimbledon final

IN PHOTOS: Princess Kate and Prince William take George, Charlotte and Louis to air show 

© Getty

William and Kate on their royal tour of the Caribbean in 2022

Once again, George, Charlotte and Louis did not accompany their parents on the trip as it took place during term time. George and Charlotte were at Thomas's Battersea school in south west London at the time, while Louis was enrolled at Willcocks Nursery School.

The young royals started at their new school, Lambrook, in September 2022, following the Waleses' move to Windsor over the summer.

Likewise, the Prince and Princess' three-day trip to Boston in the US last November also took place during the school term-time.

William and Kate look set to travel to Singapore for the Earthshot Prize Awards on 7 November, but this is also likely to clash with George, Charlotte and Louis' schooling. Kensington Palace is yet to formally announce any further overseas visits for this year, so it's not known if Louis will be making his royal tour debut anytime soon.

In comparison, George made his tour debut in Australia and New Zealand in 2014 when he was just eight months old.

© Getty

George's first royal tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2014

The tot stole the show when he met his namesake George the bilby at Taronga Zoo in Sydney and was even given his own soft toy, which he was instantly enamoured with.

William and Kate were then joined by their eldest children on their visit to Canada in 2016, where a 16-month-old Charlotte made her royal tour debut.

© Getty

Charlotte's first overseas trip to Canada in 2016

The young royals had fun at a children's party in Victoria, British Columbia, where the Princess spoke her first words in public, as she ran towards a balloon arch and said, "Pop!"

George and Charlotte also accompanied their parents on a visit to Germany and Poland in 2017. 

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