The Prince and Princess of Wales broke tradition ahead of Prince Louis’ sixth birthday. While in the past, Prince William and Catherine have released a photo of their children on the eve of their respective birthdays, this year Kensington Palace did not share a photo of Louis in advance with the press. Instead, a new picture was posted to the Waleses’ social media accounts on the Prince’s actual birthday.

The PA reported on April 23, “It is understood to be due to the unprecedented time the family is experiencing,” and that William and Catherine “are said to be cognisant of the fact that they have asked for privacy during the princess’s recovery, but wanted to share the photograph on social media as a way to thank those who have sent birthday wishes.”

According to the PA, the same process is expected to be followed for Princess Charlotte’s birthday next month. Prince Louis turned six on Tuesday, April 23. The image released to mark his birthday was taken by his mom, the Princess of Wales, who started a course of preventative chemotherapy in late February. Louis was pictured flashing a big smile at the camera, while laying on a blanket on grass.

The photo, which is said to have been taken in the last few days in Windsor, was accompanied by a message that read: “Happy 6th Birthday, Prince Louis! 🎂 Thank you for all the kind wishes today.”

In the past, the Princess has revealed a sweet tradition she has for her children’s birthdays. On the BBC’s A Berry Royal Christmas special in 2019, Catherine revealed to Mary Berry that she bakes cakes for her kids. “I love making the cake,” the royal mom of three shared. “It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up ‘til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing, and I make far too much. But I love it.”