Watch: This clip of Kate Middleton giving Prince Louis a drink will divide the nation

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s youngest son Prince Louis dominated headlines when he joined his parents in the royal box at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee pageant. Yet aside from his cheeky behaviour, royal fans were left with questions when a clip of Duchess Kate handing Louis a drink appeared to divide the nation.

The clip was originally broadcast by Sky before being reshared on HELLO!’s TikTok page. It has since gained 4.4million views – but royal fans seem to be polarised in the comments over the Duchess of Cambridge’s choice of drink for little Prince Louis.

Duchess Kate tries to calm an excited Louis in the clip, handing him a bottle and encouraging him to drink from it.
Confused in the comments section, one fan asked: “Louis is four… surprised to see him using a milk bottle?” while another disagreed: “It’s a sippy cup – brilliant to reduce spills, ruined clothes, chairs, rugs and less mess for someone else to clean.”

Royal fans couldn’t agree over the Duchess choice of drink for 4-year-old Louis
“So many judgemental parents on here, who cares if it’s a bottle or a sippy cup?” quizzed another royal fan, while a fourth appeared to put all the bottle theories to rest with their sensible observation.
“It’s not a sippy cup or baby bottle, it’s a Fortnum & Mason water bottle, a gift in the gift bags given to every guest in the stands,” they wrote. Now, this would make sense!

According to the NHS, babies being given bottles with a teat after the age of one is discouraged, because “comfort sucking from a bottle on sweetened drinks causes tooth decay in young children”.

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Sippy cups are more suited to younger children
The use of a sippy cup, however, is similar to an adult’s sports bottle with a straw. Though it’s generally recommended for children over the age of three to drink from open cups to develop their tongue, lips and jaw strength, many parents opt for closed ‘sippy’ style cups for their toddlers when on the go.
If Prince Louis’ excitement at the Jubilee is anything to go by, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Duchess had packed him an anti-spill cup! However, HELLO! can confirm the Duchess reached for a screw-top bottle, meaning it was most likely the complimentary Fortnum & Mason water given to those in the stands.