With a smart set of wheels, a backpack and a cheeky grin, this is easy rider Prince Louis.
Today is his third birthday – and he posed for this photo on his first day of nursery school.
Proud mother the Duchess of Cambridge snapped the delightful portrait, which was released by Kensington Palace last night.
It was taken at the palace on Wednesday, shortly before Prince Louis left for his first day at the Willcocks Nursery School.
Prince Louis appeared in high spirits as he posed for this photo before leaving for his first day at the Willcocks Nursery School in Kensington
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The royal (pictured left at the age of one and right at the age of two) will follow in the footsteps of Princess Charlotte, who attended Willcocks, in Kensington
In an official tweet, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revealed the photo of Prince Louis had been taken earlier this week
Beaming at the camera, Louis looks ready for his big day, sporting a smart blue and white striped shirt, navy blue sweater and sky blue shorts.
The young prince’s £30 Adidas Kids Duramo trainers look scuffed at the toes, like those of any active three-year-old.
The chubby-faced toddler of previous birthday portraits is growing up fast, just like his brother, Prince George, seven, and sister, Princess Charlotte, who will turn six next month.
The confident young royal showed off his cycle skills on a trendy Frog balance bike. The red Tadpole Plus model, costing £200, has no pedals or chain.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously released pictures of their children Prince George (left) and Princess Charlotte (right) when they turned three
Pictured: Princess Charlotte and Prince George with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Thomas’s Battersea in London.
Prince William aged three (left) on his first day at nursery school in 1985 and Kate Middleton (right) at the age of three during a family holiday in the Lake District
Kensington Palace has not revealed the hours when Louis will be attending, but previously the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have started off their children on morning or afternoon sessions. Pictured: Prince William enjoying a bike ride in Tresco on the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall in 1989 with brother Harry and their parents Charles and Diana
Royal fans have suggested that Prince Louis bears a striking resemblance to Kate Middleton’s father, Michael (pictured with Carole Middleton in 2017)
Balance bikes teach youngsters to ride naturally, by fine-tuning their motor skills, coordination and agility without any need for lessons. Frog is one of the most popular brands and this model has been out of stock for some time.
The heartwarming image comes after royal fans claimed the young prince bore a striking resemblance to Kate Middleton’s father, Michael.
The Willcocks Nursery School – whose ethos is ‘high standards, excellence and good manners’ – is rated outstanding by Ofsted.
Louis is following in the footsteps of Princess Charlotte, who attended Willcocks, in Kensington, before she started at school.
Children can attend the morning session, which costs £10,200 a year, and/or the afternoon session, costing £6,750 a year.
There is also a two-hour ‘lunch club’ joining the two sessions, which would cost £5,550 a year if every day was needed. The total for a child attending all the sessions would be £22,500 a year.
Kensington Palace has not revealed the hours when Louis will be attending, but previously the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have started off their children on morning or afternoon sessions, building up over time to longer days.
So sought-after is Willcocks that parents can register their children from the moment they are born for a fee of £125.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, as they attend a special pantomime performance at London’s Palladium Theatre in 2020
Prince William is seen playing with his three children in a picture that was released to mark both Father’s Day and the duke’s birthday last year
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge clap for NHS carers as part of the BBC Children In Need and Comic Relief ‘Big Night In’
Princess Charlotte waves to the crowds following the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince Louis outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington,
If they are offered a place, they must then put down a deposit of £1,500 which is only returned at the end of the child’s final term if a term’s notice has been given in writing.
As with Charlotte, the royal couple will have been offered the chance to partake in the nursery ‘stay and play’ programme to help Louis settle in.
This would involve William or Kate, or both, attending with their son until he looked settled, then being asked to leave for a short period to check he was happy without them.
The nursery recommends parents equip their child with ‘a toy or photograph from home or a picture of their Key Teacher to take home’ so that the link between nursery and home becomes more familiar and the whole process is sped up.
Last night Kensington Palace said the couple were ‘delighted to share a new photograph ahead of Prince Louis’ third birthday’.
The £10,200-a-year nursery school in Kensington which will be attended by Prince Louis
The Wilcocks Nursery School in Kensington, London, which was founded in 1964 by Miss Diana Willcocks
The Wilcocks Nursery School in Kensington operates from a hall and one room of Holy Trinity Church and also has an enclosed outside play area.
The pre-school was founded in 1964 by Miss Diana Willcocks and is currently owned and run by the Headmistress, Lavinia Taylor.
A message on the school’s website reads: ‘Willcocks Nursery is a traditional nursery school which strives to maintain its ethos for high standards, excellence and good manners. ‘
At the school children ‘engage in meaningful conversations with each other and staff’ and ‘enjoy story times and benefit from visits to the nursery from a librarian’.
Staff also introduce children to poetry, and ‘high regard is given to developing children’s skills in expressive arts and design’.
As part of their education, children also visit the Royal College of Art where they create their own works of art, exhibited for parents and the public to see.
They also have regular visits from the Royal College of Music, which enable them to explore the sounds that different instruments make.
In addition, children can use some programmable toys which help develop their mathematical skills so they can count accurately up to and beyond 20.
Children can attend the morning session, which costs £10,200 a year, and/or the afternoon session, costing £6,750 a year.
There is also a two-hour ‘lunch club’ joining the two sessions, which would cost £5,550 a year if every day was needed. The total for a child attending all the sessions would be £22,500 a year.
The nursery recommends parents equip their child with ‘a toy or photograph from home or a picture of their Key Teacher to take home’ so that the link between nursery and home becomes more familiar and the whole process is sped up.