Just days after Prince Louis’ birthday, we’re learning that age really is but a number. Because it turns out that late last year, when the young prince was only 5 years old, he was already going after the patriarchy. Shirley Ballas, a judge on Strictly Come Dancing — basically Britain’s version of Dancing with the Stars —recently opened up to The Sun about when Prince Louis visited the show’s set last December alongside his mom Kate Middleton and sister Princess Charlotte, 8.
An insider said at the time that the Princesses of Wales are “huge” fans of the show, so they were “delighted to be invited.” And we’re sure Prince Louis was delighted to be included as the youngest of the bunch tends to get left behind
“They’re beautifully polite children,” Ballas said in a new interview per Hello! “They had an absolute ball.”
She also shared in this new interview the story of the gifts she and her team had prepared for the third and fourth in line for the throne. They thought it would be a “nice idea” to give Princess Charlotte one of the crowns they have on set and got Princess Louis a “nice box of sweets.”
“Then he went, ‘I want one of those,’ and pointed at the crown,” Ballas said. “So we had to go and find him a little crown.”
And we absolutely love to hear that! Because it’s not just girls and princesses who like to and can play dress up with fake crowns. Little boys can too! Take that, gender norms! Just when we thought we couldn’t love this little wild card any more than we already do, we find out he’ll be damned if he let’s something as trivial as the patriarchy stand in the way of his playtime.
P.S. How endearing and hilarious is it that the Strictly Come Dancing team gave the young royals fake crowns — as if they don’t have a legitimate treasure trove of real tiaras to play with.
This isn’t the first time this month that we’ve had Prince Louis and gender norms on the brain. Recently, a royal expert predicted what the future will look like for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — the “spare” and the “spare to the spare” — given that their 10-year-old brother Prince George is the heir to the throne (following dad Prince William).
“I imagine they will encourage Louis to explore life outside the royal fold,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said. “… It could be the military, but it could also be working in the charity world or whatever he finds appealing after his education is finished.”
“I’m sure they will encourage him to go to University,” she continued. “… And from there they will want him to find a life that is meaningful to him as well as appropriate for the son of a future King.”
There was no such talk of Princess Charlotte exploring life “outside the royal fold.” And something about the whole thing just felt so sexist. Is that because they think that she, as a woman, is more likely to dutifully stand in line, smile, and wave?
Are there concerns that Prince Louis will have the kind of machismo that won’t allow him to live in the shadow of his brother? As a younger brother, is Buckingham Palace worried he will follow in the footsteps of his Uncle Prince Harry and leave the “royal fold?” They’re certainly taking steps to try and ensure that doesn’t happen.
If his visit to Strictly Come Dancing is any indication, the royal family should know that Prince Louis is ready to buck any gender norms that stand between him and happiness. And we couldn’t possibly love that more!
Before you go, check out Prince Louis’ most hilariously chaotic moments.
