Prince Charles has wished Prince Louis a ''very happy'' second birthday via social media.

The 71-year-old royal has published a black-and-white image of himself sharing a warm embrace with Prince Louis through Clarence House's official Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The photograph - which was captured by the Duchess of Cambridge - is captioned: ''A very Happy Birthday to Prince Louis, who turns two today.

''The young Prince enjoys a hug from his Grandfather, The Prince of Wales. (sic)''

Elsewhere, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared the ''reality'' of Prince Louis' recent birthday photoshoot.

The royal couple - who also have Prince George, six, and Princess Charlotte, four, together - published a series of photographs taken by Duchess Catherine of her youngest son with rainbow-coloured hands to mark his second birthday on Thursday (23.04.20).

They subsequently shared more funny images of the tot, featuring the paint smeared on his face, to thank well-wishers for their messages.

One picture featured Louis' paint-covered hands, while the second showed where he'd clutched his cheeks, chin and neck.

The social media post was captioned: ''Instagram Vs Reality

''Thank you for your lovely messages on Prince Louis's second birthday [rainbow emoji] (sic)''

The original set of photos showed Louis dressed in a gingham shirt having fun while creating a colourful piece of art.

The post was captioned: ''Sharing a sneak peek of Prince Louis's handiwork ahead of his second birthday!

''We are pleased to share images ahead of Prince Louis's second birthday tomorrow, taken by The Duchess this April. (sic)''

Rainbows have become a symbol of hope and appreciation for key workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Across the UK, many children have been displaying their rainbow pictures in the windows of their homes in a show of support.