Welsh manufacturer 'absolutely delighted' as Prince Louis pictured on their bike
A bicycle manufacturer is "absolutely delighted" to see Prince Louis pictured riding their Welsh-made bike on his birthday.
The photograph captured by his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, shows Prince Louis riding the balance bike before nursery.
It was built in the Pontypool factory of children's bike manufacturers, Frog Bikes.
The site, which opened in 2016, employs around 50 workers and produces around 400 bikes a day.
Prince Louis was pictured using the 'Tadpole' balance bike - which aims to help children adjust to balancing on a bike before progressing onto a pedal bike.
Frog Bikes said it has given them a boost after what has been a challenging year due to Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
Val Benyon, Head of Marketing, said: "We have been delighted to see an increase in the participation in cycling during the pandemic, but of course there have been many challenges, not least of all Brexit.
"We supply not just to the UK, but to 50 countries worldwide, so in Europe we’ve seen particularly challenging times with Brexit-related issues."
She said the company has been able to continue production throughout Covid.
"Thankfully, the cycling industry has benefitted from bike stores being essential shops throughout.
"We were very lucky to be able to keep our facility going, with stringent Covid measures in place, of course.
"It's a credit to the team for getting that sorted in the early days of the pandemic."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released the photo of the young royal on his first day of nursery school.
The two-week period of royal mourning following the death of Prince Philip ends on Friday, allowing Kate and William to release the image.
Louis, who turned three on Friday, is shown beaming as he sat on his bike in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
Wearing a jumper, shirt, shorts and with his rucksack on his back, the prince appears ready to cycle off to Willcocks Nursery School. He was however taken to his school by car.
Louis is following in the footsteps of big sister Princess Charlotte, aged five, who also attended the same nursery.
He will likely celebrate his third birthday by sharing a cake with his new classmates, as revealed in the testimonials on the nursery’s website.
Kate, an amateur photographer, accepted a lifetime honorary membership of the Royal Photographic Society in 2017 and was praised for her "talent and enthusiasm".
Louis is the Cambridges' youngest child and is fifth in line to the throne.
He was born on St George’s Day, April 23, 2018, at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz.
The young prince has rarely been seen in public – his most prominent outing during the past 12 months was when he joined his parents and siblings at a special pantomime performance at London’s Palladium Theatre last winter.