Prince Louis received a joking rebuke from relative Mike Tindall in the royal box outside Buckingham Palace on Sunday as the extended royal family gathered to watch Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee pageant.
Tindall, a former England rugby captain who is married to the queen's eldest granddaughter Zara Tindall (nee Phillips), was photographed in a sweet exchange with Louis, 4, who had been restlessly moving between the laps of his mother, father and grandfather, Prince Charles, throughout the event.
The image has been widely shared online and comes after a debate started on social media on Sunday over press hypocrisy, with some users asking whether the "cheeky" behavior of a royal child would have been so well received if their parents were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The jubilee pageant on Sunday and Trooping the Colour on Thursday mark two of the biggest public engagements that Louis, who turned 4 in April, has been included in by his parents.
The joking rebuke given by Tindall to the young prince in the form of an "I'm watching you" finger gesture is demonstrative of how close the young royal is to his Tindall relations.
The Cambridge family are known to spend a lot of time with the Tindalls, with both William and Prince Harry being close to cousin Zara since childhood.
Zara, along with brother Peter Phillips, was staying with the queen at Balmoral Castle in August 1997 when the news that Princess Diana had died in a tragic Paris car crash was broken.
Zara is a passionate horse woman who won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the team equestrian event. William and Kate have often been photographed attending various horse trials where Zara is competing with their children playing with the Tindalls.
As well as being photographed moving from royal lap to lap, Louis was seen becoming restless at points, with Kate having to step in and placate her young son.
Despite his raucousness in the royal box, Louis was considered well behaved enough to make an appearance on Buckingham Palace's balcony alongside the queen after the pageant had concluded.
The queen did not attend the pageant, having canceled her appearances at the planned jubilee events after she experienced "some discomfort" after her balcony appearances at the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday.
The queen has been forced to cancel a number of important royal engagements throughout the year on the advice of her doctors after suffering a series of health scares last fall and increasing problems with her mobility.
Ahead of the State Opening of Parliament in May, Buckingham Palace released a statement reading: "The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow.
"At Her Majesty's request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen's speech on Her Majesty's behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance."
This development with her mobility saw the queen debut for the first time a golf buggy mobility aid at the Chelsea Flower Show in May which has been dubbed by the press the "Queenmobile."
Despite this, the queen managed to make a balcony appearance from Buckingham Palace to close out the events of her historic Platinum Jubilee, the first event of its kind celebrated by a king or queen in the thousand-year history of the British monarchy.
The queen was joined by her heirs, Charles, William and Prince George as well as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte and Louis.
Following the appearance, the 96-year-old queen released a statement of thanks to the nation reading: "When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee.
"While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.
"I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.
"I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations."
