Prince Louis new family photo: the Wales family's unseen Snowdon picture, explained

A new family photo of Prince Louis, his siblings and their parents has royal watchers talking about how fast the Wales children are growing up. Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared the previously unseen picture on Sunday, Oct. 25, to mark Mountain Rescue Awareness Day.

The photo shows the couple with Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, alongside members of the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team at the foot of Snowdon in Wales, The Telegraph reported. It was taken in June, when Kate completed the National Three Peaks Challenge.

What the new photo shows

The image is a group shot, not a formal portrait. The family stands with a large team of rescue volunteers in front of a green mountain landscape. Vogue noted some subtle coordination: William and Kate in warm brown tops, and George and Charlotte in matching navy tops with jeans.

Coverage in the US has focused largely on the youngest. Yahoo Entertainment wrote that “the kids, especially little Louis, looked so grown up,” and called it a rare family photo. New pictures of all five of the Waleses together are uncommon outside official occasions, which helps explain why this one drew so much attention days after it was posted.

Why the family shared it

The photo came with a thank-you message to mountain rescue volunteers, signed “W & C.” It read in part:

“On Mountain Rescue Awareness Day, we send our heartfelt thanks to all those who volunteer their time and expertise to keep people safe in some of our most beautiful but challenging landscapes.”

The couple added that “meeting local mountain rescue teams during the Three Peaks Challenge this summer was an opportunity to say thank you in person,” and closed by thanking the mountain rescue community for its “unwavering commitment, courage and service,” according to The Telegraph and Vogue.

Kate’s Three Peaks Challenge

In June, Kate climbed Scafell Pike in England, Ben Nevis in Scotland and Snowdon in Wales within 24 hours, The Telegraph reported. She took on the challenge to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, linked to the hospital where she was treated for cancer. Vogue described her as the first royal to complete the National Three Peaks Challenge.

Yahoo Entertainment noted that the climb came about a year and a half after Kate announced she was in remission. She said at the time that she did it to highlight “the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare.”

The Telegraph reported that the photo was taken when the family met the Llanberis team at the foot of Snowdon during the challenge.

The Waleses and mountain rescue

The couple’s ties to mountain rescue go back years. Yahoo Entertainment reported that in 2023, William and Kate joined the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team for its 60th anniversary, taking part in medical exercises, a rescue dog demonstration and abseiling. Earlier this year, Kate also walked with the Mind Over Mountains mental health charity.

The Waleses’ message stressed that rescue volunteers “respond in all conditions, often at a moment’s notice, to help others when they need it most.”

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