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Duchess Sophie Breaks Royal Protocol at Trooping of Color — But Prince Louis Loved It

Prince Louis is known for his cheeky antics, pulling off hilarious mimicry during royal events. The young Prince has earned a reputation as the most impish royal, despite the best efforts of his parents and siblings to keep him in line. However, this time, it was Duchess Sophie who stole the spotlight on Trooping the Color as the coolest auntie, gladly joining Louis in his antics to keep him entertained. In a playful moment, the great-aunt and great-nephew were seen making faces at each other in a charming display of affection.

As reported by the Daily Express, Louis and his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, joined Sophie at the Duke of Wellington's office to watch King Charles's birthday parade. In a sweet moment, the Duchess of Edinburgh could be seen explaining the annual celebration to the Wales children. Not one to contain his composure, young Louis was seen playing with the cord for the blinds as she explained what was happening on the parade ground. To keep him entertained, Sophie was seen pulling silly faces, with Louis returning the favor. The young royal's mouth was captured wide open as he gave his great-aunt a run for her money.

Protocol generally dictates that royal family members maintain a stoic and composed appearance at public events. The late Queen Elizabeth reportedly expected her family to be well-behaved during events, which made Sophie's rare break in protocol surprising. As Duchess Sophie's sweet moment with Louis went viral on X (formerly Twitter), fans couldn't help but say the same thing. A royal watcher commented, "Auntie Sophie is a great great-auntie." In a similar vein, another echoed, "What a great aunt. Prince William and Princess Catherine trust her... goes to show they really have a good relationship❣️" A netizen penned, "She’s lovely. The King knows it! Boom to those who think otherwise!" As the comments poured in, a fan agreed, "How cute is this!! Love them."

As for Louis, his cheeky mischiefs were on full display at Trooping the Color. As per the Daily Mail, Louis flashed a toothy grin as he waved enthusiastically at the assembled crowds. As his carriage pulled up outside Buckingham Palace, George couldn't help laugh as Louis, as usual, pulled funny faces. Later, on the Palace balcony together, Louis got a little too excited, waving at the crowd while his siblings, parents, and the King still had their hands by their sides. This prompted George to give him a nudge to get him to stop waving. Last year was no different, as Louis was spotted sheepishly yawning, dancing his heart out, and scrunching up his face during an animated display. 

While Auntie Sophie had her hands (and face) busy with Louis, she has been known to extend the same motherly love to George and Charlotte. As per Woman and Home, it has long been reported that the Duchess had formed a tight-knit bond with the Princess of Wales and her children following the Queen's death and Middleton's cancer diagnosis. She also reportedly loves to take Charlotte on shopping sprees.