Kate Middleton took the cutest photos of Prince Louis for his first birthday

Happy Birthday, Prince Louis! On April 23, 2018, Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their third child into the world, and to commemorate his first birthday, the palace shared three images of the adorable boy. The photos were snapped by his mum, and they prove that he’s one cute little prince, indeed.

Prince Louis was photographed shortly after his birth on the steps of the hospital alongside his parents and also at his christening, but it’s been a few months since fans of the royal family got a good look at him. And boy, is he growing up quickly!

The images were posted to the Kensington Royal Instagram account, and according to the caption, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were “delighted” to show off these photos of their son in honor of his birthday:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwkq68KF-xS/

He’s posed wearing the biggest smile and the most precious sweaters you ever did see:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwkq–RFHDM/

It’s common for the royal family to post updates about their children surrounding major milestones, such as birthdays or the first day of kindergarten, and the images they share are always special.

This is the photo the family shared of Princess Charlotte last year when she turned 3 years old:

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When Middleton’s behind the camera, some very sweet moments are captured. This image of Princess Charlotte with her baby brother was also taken on the little girl’s birthday and shared online:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiadXx_g4z0/

A royal photographer has even praised Middleton’s talent behind-the-camera in the past.

Hugo Rittson Thomas told People magazine when Middleton released photos of Prince George and Princess Charlotte in 2016, “I thought they were wonderful pictures, beautifully shot,” he said. “She captured the joy, happiness and youth of her children which is a wonderful thing and sometimes hard to do as a parent.”

Her ability to capture such joy on camera likely has something to do with the fact that it’s the “simple moments” she enjoys the most as a mom.

“Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life and for me, as a mother, it is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish,” she wrote in a letter to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, which was shared on Twitter:

According to a body language expert, Dan Ribacoff, Middleton is a compassionate, loving, nurturing and attentive mother to her children. She’s often photographed with a huge smile across her face when she’s interacting with her kids, and according to Ribacoff, “[Kate’s] open smile is a genuine smile that is shown through the lines of her eyes,” he said. “Open smiles like this are rarely faked.”

The joys of motherhood have led Middleton to show off her children on social media — as any mom would — and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Keep snapping away and keep the sweet photos coming, Duchess!