Updated May 06, 2018 11:20:24

Photo: Princess Charlotte holds Prince Louis on her birthday in this image taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace. (Kensington Palace)

Kensington Palace has released two pictures documenting the early days of Britain's newest prince, born last month.

The first of the two photos taken by Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge and released on Twitter, shows three-year-old Princess Charlotte cuddling Prince Louis on her birthday, May 2.

The other photo of Louis was taken on April 26, just three days after the Duchess gave birth.

Louis was born on April 23 at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's hospital in London.

Photo: An image of Prince Louis taken by The Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace on April 26. (Kensington Palace)

Kate went home to Kensington Palace the same day after showing Prince Louis to the world just seven hours after the birth.

The baby boy, who was born weighing 8lbs 7oz (about 3.8kg), is fifth-in-line to the throne.

Louis is the third of Kate and Prince William's children. Their eldest child, four-year-old Prince George, is not featured in either photo.

The tweets, posted by Kensington Palace on Sunday, said Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge were "very pleased" to share the photos.

"The Duke and Duchess would like to thank members of the public for their kind messages following the birth of Prince Louis, and for Princess Charlotte's third birthday," the tweet said.

Prince Louis is Queen Elizabeth's sixth great-grandchild.

A 2013 change to the law means the boy will not supplant older sister Charlotte in the line of succession.

AP

Topics: royal-and-imperial-matters, family-and-children, babies, united-kingdom

First posted May 06, 2018 09:48:19