The key reason Princess Kate and Prince William delayed releasing new Louis photo revealed

EXCLUSIVE: A royal expert claimed there are two factors which contributed to Kensington Palace delaying the release of Prince Louis’s new birthday photo.

Kensington Palace’s delay in releasing the new photograph of Prince Louis today to mark his sixth birthday may have been due to hesitation after the Mother’s Day photo scandal and a need for the Princess of Wales to have “time, space and privacy”, a royal expert has claimed.

Louis will likely celebrate his birthday today surrounded by his family after his school day is over.

The young royal always has a new photograph released on his birthday by Prince William and Princess Kate, with the snap usually taken by Kate herself.

But this year, royal watchers were worried there might not be a new snap after the couple’s social media accounts stayed silent until Tuesday midday.

But shortly before 12.30pm, the couple posted an adorable new photograph of Louis on their X account, taken by Princess Kate, to mark the youngester’s special day.

And now a royal expert has suggested there are two key reasons for the delay.

Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Express: “It is something of a royal tradition that royal birthdays are celebrated by the release of photographs, Catherine has taken a great many and they are always eagerly awaited.

He added: “This [would have been] a shame because of the vexed issue of her Mothering Day photograph. The revelation that it was edited led to a highly embarrassing contretemps and the subsequent revelation that she was not only recovering from abdominal surgery but bravely fighting cancer.

“The video message when she revealed this was probably the bravest by any public figure about their health in Britain.”

Prince Louis always had a new photo of him released on his birthday

The expert stressed that there might have been discussions as to what the best approach would be and the delay could “emphasise her need for time, space and privacy which she expressed so movingly in the message and, after the misunderstandings of recent weeks, this should be universally understood.”

The Princess of Wales shocked the globe last month when she announced she has been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.

Kate said the news came as a huge “shock” but remained positive by adding: “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits”.

She also revealed she is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy for her illness.