Prince Louis Received So Many Gifts from Well-Wishers on Christmas He Asked Prince William ‘Papa, Can You Carry Some?’

As he is prone to do, Prince Louis stole the show at the royal family’s Christmas Day walkabout.

Louis, 6, joined his parents Prince William and Kate Middleton, older siblings Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 9, and other members of his family on Dec. 25, where he mingled with members of the public after a morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene. The youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, “looked visibly excited” by the gifts he received, including a box of Cadbury chocolates, Christmas crackers, bouquets of flowers and an assortment of stuffed toys, according to The Daily Mail.

At one point, a well-wisher offered the royal a Father Christmas headband, which he happily accepted and “politely thanked the person who gifted it and returned to his father and siblings,” the outlet reported.

Prince William, who was also enthusiastically greeting members of the public, appeared amused by Louis’ haul of goodies and told him, “You’ve got that as well.”

In fact, Louis’ hands were so full of presents, The Daily Mail reported, that he “appeared to struggle to keep hold of everything he had received” and turned to his father and sweetly asked, “Papa, can you carry some?”

At other points in the walkabout, Louis gripped his mother’s hand and, as seen in a video posted to TikTok, ruffled her youngest’s hair at one point, encouraging him to mingle with well-wishers. She also put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, as seen in a separate clip.

Per Newsweek, Prince Louis was spotted telling his mother Princess Kate at one point, “We’re looking out for each other.”

Related: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Join Christmas Day Walk to Church After 'Brutal' Year

As his three kids excitedly grabbed treats from the crowd assembled, Prince William exclaimed, “Flowers [for Charlotte] chocolate [for George and Louis]. Very easy!”

For the second year in a row, Louis wore trousers to the Christmas Day walkabout, although The Daily Express reports that royal tradition usually dictates that boys under seven years old must wear shorts while attending public engagements. “It appears his parents are taking a more relaxed approach to protocol,” the outlet reported. (Louis will turn 7 in April.)

Related: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Make First Public Appearance in Six Months: 'It's Been a Difficult Year'

It has been a difficult year for George, Charlotte and Louis, one that saw both their mother and their grandfather diagnosed with cancer. On Sept. 9, Kate announced that her chemotherapy treatment had ended, while the King’s will continue on into 2025.

The three Wales children were rarely seen in the public eye in 2024, making sparse appearances at events like June’s Trooping the Colour, September’s video message from the Princess of Wales announcing she had completed treatment and Dec. 6’s Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

“It’s been such a difficult year for them,” Sophie Mirman, founder and creative director of Trotters (the brand behind Princess Charlotte’s burgundy coat worn to the carol service) told PEOPLE of George, Charlotte and Louis. “It’s wonderful to see them all together.”

Following major abdominal surgery in January, Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis to the world in a March 22 video message. When she made the announcement earlier this year, her three kids were top of mind, as she said in the clip that she and William “have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time.”

“Life-threatening illnesses bring a reconsideration of priorities,” a source close to the royal household said of Kate, who announced Sept. 9 she had completed chemotherapy treatment. “She and William have always made it clear that family is the most important thing.”

Though it has been a difficult year for Louis and his siblings, Louis is learning a new hobby — “the drums,” dad William said. “That’s why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears.”

Louis — who shares a particularly tight bond with his sister Charlotte — was “bursting” to tell his older sister about ballet dancers at their mom’s carol concert earlier this month. Speaking to performers at the annual event, Kate recounted that Louis learned there would be a ballet performance at the carol concert about two weeks before the show, and that she asked him not to tell Charlotte so it would be a surprise for the young princess, who loves dance.

“So I said, ‘Louis, can you keep a secret? I want it to be a surprise for Charlotte, who loves her ballet dancing,’ and he said, ‘I won't say anything!’. And he's kept the secret, this is what, maybe two weeks? Quite good for a 6-year-old!” Princess Kate said with a smile.

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“And then this morning he was like, ‘Please Mummy, can I tell her? I'm bursting!’, ‘cause I did the drop off and he really wanted to tell her,” she added.

“I think, hopefully, he's kept on with it. I don't think he's said anything,” she continued. “I asked her [Charlotte], just before we left, ‘Do you know what the surprise is?’ And she said no.”

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