As he often does, Prince Louis captured the spotlight during the royal family’s Christmas Day walkabout.

The 6-year-old joined his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with his older siblings, Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 9, as well as other members of the royal family on December 25. Following a morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene, Louis mingled with members of the public. According to The Daily Mail, the youngest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, “looked visibly excited” by the gifts he received, which included a box of Cadbury chocolates, Christmas crackers, bouquets of flowers, and a variety of stuffed toys.

At one moment, a well-wisher presented Louis with a Father Christmas headband, which he gladly accepted. As the outlet noted, he “politely thanked the person who gifted it and returned to his father and siblings.”

Prince William, who was warmly interacting with members of the public, seemed entertained by Louis’ collection of gifts and commented, “You’ve got that as well.”

According to The Daily Mail, Louis’ hands were so full of presents that he “appeared to struggle to keep hold of everything he had received” and endearingly turned to his father, asking, “Papa, can you carry some?”

During the walkabout, Louis was also seen holding his mother’s hand. In a TikTok video, Kate was spotted ruffling her youngest son’s hair and encouraging him to engage with well-wishers. In another moment, captured in a separate clip, she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

As reported by Newsweek, Prince Louis at one point sweetly told his mother, Princess Kate, “We’re looking out for each other.”

As Prince William watched his three children eagerly collecting treats from the gathered crowd, he cheerfully said, “Flowers [for Charlotte], chocolate [for George and Louis]. Very easy!”

This year marked the second consecutive Christmas Day walkabout where Louis was seen wearing trousers, a departure from the traditional royal protocol. According to The Daily Express, “It appears his parents are taking a more relaxed approach to protocol,” as royal customs typically require boys under 7 to wear shorts at public events. (Louis will celebrate his 7th birthday in April.)

It has been a challenging year for George, Charlotte, and Louis, as both their mother and grandfather faced cancer diagnoses. On September 9, Kate announced that her chemotherapy treatment had concluded, while the King’s treatment is set to continue into 2025.

In 2024, the Wales children were seldom seen in public, making brief appearances at events such as June’s Trooping the Colour, the Princess of Wales’s September video message announcing the end of her treatment, and the Together at Christmas carol concert on December 6 at Westminster Abbey.

“It’s been such a difficult year for them,” Sophie Mirman, founder and creative director of Trotters (the brand behind Princess Charlotte’s burgundy coat worn to the carol service), told PEOPLE about George, Charlotte, and Louis. “It’s wonderful to see them all together.”

After undergoing major abdominal surgery in January, Kate publicly shared her cancer diagnosis through a video message on March 22. In her announcement, her three children were her primary concern. She stated in the video that she and William “have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time.”

A source close to the royal household commented on Kate’s situation, saying, “Life-threatening illnesses bring a reconsideration of priorities. She and William have always made it clear that family is the most important thing.”

Although this year has been challenging for Louis and his siblings, the young prince has taken up a new hobby — “the drums,” revealed dad William. “That’s why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears,” he joked.

Louis, who shares a close bond with his sister Charlotte, was “bursting” to share news about ballet dancers at their mom’s carol concert earlier this month. During the event, Kate recounted how Louis learned about the planned ballet performance roughly two weeks in advance and how she encouraged him to keep it a secret to surprise Charlotte, who is passionate about dance.

“So I said, ‘Louis, can you keep a secret? I want it to be a surprise for Charlotte, who loves her ballet dancing,’ and he said, ‘I won’t say anything!’ And he’s kept the secret, this is what, maybe two weeks? Quite good for a 6-year-old!” Princess Kate said with a smile.

“And then this morning he was like, ‘Please Mummy, can I tell her? I’m bursting!’, ‘cause I did the drop off and he really wanted to tell her,” she shared.

“I think, hopefully, he’s kept on with it. I don’t think he’s said anything,” she continued. “I asked her [Charlotte], just before we left, ‘Do you know what the surprise is?’ And she said no.”