Prince Louis turned seven on Wednesday, April 23, with Prince William and Princess Kate sharing an adorable new portrait and an Instagram Reel showing off his lively personality. But on July 9, 2018, the little prince was less than three months old and celebrating a different milestone—his christening day. For the occasion, Prince Harry gave his nephew a special gift, and he definitely didn't just slip a check into a card like most uncles out there.
It turns out the Duke of Sussex, who had married Meghan Markle just a month after Louis was born, gave his second nephew a rare gift to add to his nursery bookshelves. According to the Express, Princess Diana enjoyed collecting classic books, and Prince Harry chose to carry this on to Louis, giving him "a first-edition copy of A.A Milne's Winnie the Pooh from 1926."
Although the outlet reported that the book was thought to cost Harry around £8,000 ($10,600) in 2018, there are several first editions on the secondhand market today selling for upwards of $15,000.
According to the Express, Prince Harry almost gave Louis an even more expensive book. He considered "a first-edition of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass" instead of Winnie the Pooh, and the book was priced significantly higher at a jaw-dropping £24,000.
"One of Harry's happiest childhood memories was being read a bedtime story by his mother," a source said at the time. "She loved all the old classics and Harry had the brilliant idea of starting a little library of first editions for Louis, Charlotte and George to enjoy as they get older."
Although the Prince and Princess of Wales didn't share what Louis was up to for his seventh birthday, his new photos marked a milestone for the young prince. While he's followed the British upper-class tradition of wearing shorts with a sweater or button-up shirt in his previous portraits, Prince Louis wore grown-up jeans in his birthday picture this year.
