Kate Middleton had clear instructions for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis during their latest appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
On May 5, Princess Kate and Prince William brought their children — George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, 7 — to the military procession and flypast at Buckingham Palace commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day later this week. It was a surprise public appearance for the Wales children and their first official royal outing of the year.
At one point during the balcony appearance just before the flypast happened, Kate directed the three children’s attention upward.
“Eyes to the sky,” the Princess of Wales, 43, said, lip reader Nicola Hickling told Hello! magazine.
Chris Jackson/Getty
Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte watch the flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on May 5, 2025.
The lip reader said that Princess Kate had something else to say to her youngest son. “When the flypast comes, you will see it smoke blue, white and red,” she told Louis, who was immediately intrigued.
“Look at the [back/black] one, they have lots of tanks,” Prince Louis said and pointed to the planes.
Neil Mockford/GC Images
Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5, 2025 in London.
The flypast was performed by the RAF Red Arrows, and King Charles’ team shared footage of the soaring scene in a video shared to X.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were on their best behavior during the tribute, where they joined their parents and King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh and more family members.
✈️ More from VE Day celebrations at The Queen Victoria Memorial and the balcony of Buckingham Palace #VEDay80 pic.twitter.com/bAf7rtpQfp
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 5, 2025
Princess Kate’s conversation with her children wasn’t the only comment that cameras caught between her family that day, as Prince Louis also reportedly shared a cheeky comment during the military march before the flypast.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had a front-row seat to the action with their three children, where they sat in a box at the Queen Victoria Memorial to watch 1,300 members of the Armed Forces process in honor of those who served in World War II.
“Wasn’t this supposed to be fun?” Louis asked William, Hickling told The Sun.
According to the lip reader, the royal dad replied, “It is, son.”
The Prince of Wales then explained the machinations of the parade and underlined to his son that it was important to pay attention.
Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty
Prince Louis and Prince William attend a military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5, 2025 in London.
“It’s not going to be long, and I want you to be taking an interest,” William told Louis, who at one point pulled on his RAF No.1 uniform in a playful moment.
That wasn’t all, either — Hickling said that Princess Kate gushed about her husband during the parade.
“Doesn’t Papa look smart today?” Kate asked Charlotte, referring to William in uniform.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty
Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis and Prince William attend a military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5, 2025 in London.
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