Prince Louis Offered New Royal Role — But William and Kate Turn It Down with a Witty Reply
Prince Louis never fails to amuse and charm everyone with his cheeky antics. So, it's no surprise that royal fans were thrilled at the thought of Louis coming close to taking on his first royal duty — as patron of the World Conker Championships. Sadly, Prince William and Kate Middleton playfully nixed the idea, preferring their spirited son to focus on school.
Louis was offered the role after management from the World Conker Championships learned about his passion for collecting conkers. As per The Telegraph, the idea reportedly amused Kensington Palace staff, with the Prince and Princess of Wales's office sharing a witty response. They said, "We really appreciate the invitation, but currently, Prince Louis is ‘conker-trating’ on his studies."
For those unversed, conkers are horse chestnut seeds that fall during the autumn season. They are a key piece of a children’s game with the same name that involves knocking two together to break the weaker seed. The World Conker Championship holds annual competitions in Southwick, West Sussex, for the same. It revolves around the game of conkers, which uses horse chestnuts threaded onto strings. Two players take turns striking each other’s conkers until one breaks. While it is competitive, the Championship aims to focus more on fun and community spirit through childhood nostalgia.
The light-hearted Championships had good reason to offer Louis the role, considering that the young royal is obsessed with collecting conkers. Mom Middleton revealed his obsession during her engagement with Melania Trump during the latter's UK state visit, where the two women spent time with a group of Scouts from Lewisham on September 18. There, the Princess said, "We keep finding conkers in cupboards, in his bed – conkers everywhere!" adding that Louis would put the conkers in his toy trucks and play with them. Middleton and Trump were visiting Frogmore Gardens in Windsor, where they joined UK Scoutmaster Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts' Squirrels program for a nature-themed activity day.
Middleton and William shutting down Louis from taking on the role may not be a one-time thing. It may continue to be the case even when he’s older. Royal expert Sally Bledell Smith told The i Paper, "I would imagine Charlotte will be part of the picture. I’m not so sure about Louis." Historically, siblings of the monarch have automatically been given royal roles, and one can only hope that Louis displays more seriousness with his duties when he's older. For his part, the young royal has signalled his interest in becoming an aircraft pilot, as revealed by Middleton during her visit to the RAF Coningsby Air Base earlier this month.