Prince Louis proved he's the spitting image of Prince William in his birthday portrait – but it's not the first time the father-son duo have borne a remarkable likeness to one another when at the same age.

The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their youngest son turning eight with the release of a new picture as well as a video of the royal diving into the sea, playing cricket on a beach and digging in the sand.

Photographed earlier this month during the family's Easter holiday to Cornwall, a grinning Louis is shown onboard a boat with his arms folded, leaning back against the vessel’s metal barrier with the sea as the backdrop.

Royal fans were quick to notice his striking similarity to his father, now 43, when the heir to the throne was on a family holiday to Mallorca, Spain, in 1990.

A picture, taken when Britain's future King was just eight years old, shows William holding on to the handlebar of the yacht Fortuna while on holiday with his parents, Princess Diana and King Charles, alongside Prince Harry, then five.

Sharing a similarly gleeful grin to his son's, William's brown hair is seen falling just above his eyes, like Louis's, while the prince is also squinting slightly due to the bright summer sun.

In both of the photos, both William and Louis are dressed in smart-casual outfits, though the future king in more of a summer look with a white T-shirt, while Louis's navy jumper is indicative of the slightly cooler British spring weather. 

But it's not the only moment when Louis has looked remarkably like his father. The young royal has shared several matching moments with throwback photos of a young Prince William throughout the years.

For instance, Louis's appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping The Colour last June in a smart double-breasted suit with a red tie was similar to Prince William's outing at the traditional royal event in 1990.

Standing beside the late Queen and her husband Prince Philip, William, then around eight years old, also looked sophisticated in a black suit and red tie.  

Another twinning moment came when Louis attended Christmas at Sandringham in 2024. Dressed in a navy coat and smart tie, the young royal looked remarkably grown up.

Holding gifts from well-wishers, the youngster bore a resemblance to his father at a similar age, when William attended his first official engagement in Cardiff in 1991.

The heir to the throne wore a smart navy blazer and tie whilst on a walkabout with his mother, the late Princess Diana.

Meanwhile, photos of a young William show exactly where Prince Louis picked up his animated mannerisms from.

The Prince of Wales regularly pointed at the crowds of well-wishers from the Buckingham Palace balcony or waved with a similar facial expression often worn by his son nowadays.

The father-son duo also wore similar clothes when younger, with Louis more than once sporting clothes resembling outfits worn by his father when he was a child. 

Yesterday, Kate and William shared a rare glimpse into their family life with a heartwarming video to thank supporters for sending 'birthday wishes' for Louis. 

The young royal was filmed playing in the sand, enjoying a game of cricket and running along the beach during his Easter break.

Proving he's just as adventurous as he is cheeky, the fearless young royal was also captured eagerly diving into the sea from a height. 

The sweet clip was posted on Kensington Palace's social media accounts with the message: 'Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Prince Louis. 8 is great!'

Photographer Matt Porteous, to whom the Waleses often turn to mark family occasions, captured the footage.

A love of the water runs in the family. William used to surf while studying in St Andrews, while Kate is a fan of cold water swimming. 

It is not known which beach the royals visited, but the Prince of Wales inherited the vast Duchy of Cornwall landed estate and the title the Duke of Cornwall when he became heir to the throne in 2022.

Prince Louis Arthur Charles was born at 11.01am on April 23, 2018, at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, and was first photographed with William, now 43, and Kate, now 44, outside the Lindo Wing. 

A statement from Kensington Palace at the time read: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. 

'The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.'

Since then, he's become known for his flair in front of the camera and has previously delighted royal fans with his expressive performances at events.

At Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Louis, then four, took centre stage as the Royal Family appeared on the balcony.

Alarmed by the noise caused by the Red Arrows circling overhead, he covered his ears and winced.

Similarly, the youngster charmed audiences around the world with his antics at the concert held in honour of his 'Gan Gan' and her 70-year reign.