Cheeky Louis, 8, dons Wales hat as he steals the show in rare public outing with family at Commonwealth Games
PRINCE Louis donned a Wales hat and stole the show in a rare public appearance with his family on the last day of the Commonwealth Games.
The eight-year-old prince – who is rarely seen in public – joined his parents and his brother and sister as they watched the netball.
Kate and William are known by their Scottish titles – the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay – when visiting Scotland.
The whole family travelled to Glasgow alongside thousands of spectators as the games draw to a close.
The royals were pictured watching the netball and later met volunteers and athletes at the Spectator Village.
They will also watch the cycling in the Velodrome and watch the boxing on a big screen in The Wales House.
George, 13, Charlotte, 11, and Louis attended the netball with their parents – watching Australia play Jamaica.
This marks the first time the children have been publicly seen in Scotland – but a major milestone for Louis as it’s only his second official royal public engagement.
The eight-year-old has joined the Royal Family at major set piece events such as Christmas and Easter church services and Trooping the Colour and the Platinum Jubilee.
But he has only ever attended one public engagement before in May 2023 as part of the King’s Coronation celebrations joining his family at a Big Help Out volunteering initiative.
Louis looked excited to take a seat inside the 5,000- seater Hydro, in Glasgow, for the second semi-final in the Women’s Netball between Jamaica and Australia on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games.
After the netball event, the royals emerged from the arena between lines of volunteers.
They met gold medal-winning para powerlifter Mark Swan and gymnast Reuben Ward on the concourse outside the venue.
Commonwealth Games mascot Finnie also high-fived George, Charlotte and Louis and fist-bumped Kate.
The family were then cheered by the waiting crowds as they made their way to their waiting cars.
Later, William and Kate will spend time with Team Wales athletes and their families
Ward, who won a gold medal while competing for Scotland, said: “Coming into the Games, I was just hoping for the best and hopefully I could get some medals.
“Being in a position where I’m being chosen to meet the Prince of Wales, it’s just a strange but incredible experience.”
Swan picked up a gold medal in the men’s para powerlifting competition and, reflecting on the Games, said: “Absolutely fantastic opportunity. Just everything, from gold medals to then meeting royalty – blown away.”
They will also meet athletes competing at the games whose careers have been empowered by the charity SportsAid which Kate has supported as patron since 2013.
Sporting stars whose early promise was boosted by SportsAid include Sir Chris Hoy, Ellie Simmonds, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Tom Daley.
In recent days, the sporting event – affectionately known as the “friendly games” – has been attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, vice patron of Commonwealth Sport, which delivers the games, and his wife.
His Majesty King Charles and Queen Camilla flew in for the opening ceremony of the games last week.
The monarch made a grand entrance at the Commonwealth Games – arriving in Doctor Who‘s iconic Tardis.
It echoed the late Queen Elizabeth II’s James Bond skit at the opening of London’s 2012 Olympics with 007 star Daniel Craig.
Now as the 11-day sporting extravaganza nears its end, The King’s son William, his wife and their three children have marked the occasion.
