New photo of Princess Charlotte released for her 9th birthday
The Prince and Princess of Wales made a major change when sharing a new portrait of Prince Louis to mark his birthday last month – and they’re expected to do the same for their daughter, Princess Charlotte.
The Princess will celebrate her ninth birthday on Thursday 2 May and it’s likely that Prince William and Kate will post the image of Charlotte on social media to mark the occasion.
Princess Charlotte is turning 8!
Charlotte, the middle child of Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, marked her eighth birthday on Tuesday, May 2, and a new photo of the young princess taken by her mother was released to celebrate the special day.
The photo shows the princess smiling in a white floral dress while seated in a white wicker chair — and she’s missing a few teeth.
Images released for Charlotte’s seventh birthday last year showed her smiling at the camera and posing with her family’s dog.
Charlotte’s eighth birthday comes a little over a week after what would have been her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s 97th birthday. A new photo of the late queen with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren was released to mark the occasion.
It comes after the couple released an unedited new photo of Louis straight to social media, rather than under embargo to the press as was the tradition, to mark his sixth birthday on 23 April.
The snap of the Prince was posted on his actual birthday rather than the night before, as had always been the case.
It was understood to be due to the unprecedented time the family is experiencing as Kate continues her cancer treatment, with the couple wanting to thank the public for their well-wishes.
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The late monarch died last September at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Charlotte’s birthday also comes mere days prior to the May 6 coronation of her grandfather King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The palace has not yet confirmed whether Charlotte or her younger brother Louis, 5, will attend, but their older brother Prince George, 9, will have a special role in the coronation.
George will serve as one of four Pages of Honor for Charles at the king’s coronation at Westminster Abbey. He and his fellow pages are expected to process behind Charles in the ceremony and hold his ceremonial robes.
Charlotte is now third in line to the British throne behind her father William and her older brother George.
It also comes after a sweet family shot of the Princess with George, Charlotte and Louis released on Mother’s Day sparked speculation – it was withdrawn by picture agencies over concerns it had been manipulated after discrepancies were spotted in the photograph.
Kate issued a public apology stating: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Less than two weeks later, the Princess issued an emotional video message to the nation, announcing she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-op tests from her abdominal surgery found cancer had been present.
In 2015, Kate became the first member of the royal family to take the first official photographs of a royal baby, with the then Duchess of Cambridge releasing her own images of newborn Charlotte being held by her big brother George at the family home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.
Since then the Princess has taken all of the official photographs of her children to mark occasions such as birthdays, Father’s Day and their first day at school.
Charlotte’s eighth birthday last year came just a few days before the King’s coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Kate snapped her beaming daughter in a white floral dress near the family’s home in Windsor. Further images released later in the day also showed the Princess with the family’s black cocker spaniel, Orla.
Princess Charlotte’s last public appearance
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s daughter was last seen publicly as she joined her parents and brothers on the walk to church for the annual Christmas Day service.Fullscreen button
Princess Charlotte shares a sweet moment with cousin Mia Tindall on Christmas DayCharlotte, dressed in an olive green coat, chatted with her second cousin, Mia Tindall, as the youngsters chatted to members of the public who had gathered to greet the royals.
Prior to Christmas Day, the three Wales children attended their mother Kate’s festive concert at Westminster Abbey, where they posted handwritten cards for vulnerable children.
Just a few days after their outing, Kensington Palace shared footage of George, Charlotte and Louis volunteering with mum Kate at a local baby bank in Maidenhead. Take a look in the clip below…
Princess Charlotte May Gain Rare Royal Title
Those who were born as the middle child in their family know that it can be tough. Your older sibling has often already done many of the things you can do, only they did it first and sometimes, it seems, better. You’re also not the little cute one any longer after your younger sibling came along. This fate can strike anyone, even famous people such as Princess Charlotte.
Hopefully the princess isn’t outshone by either of her brothers. The fact that she is Prince William’s only daughter surely assures her some special attention. Not just now, but also down the line: there is a special title only Princess Charlotte qualifies for. A title that was specifically created by King Charles I’s wife, Queen Henrietta, back in 1642. This title is called “Princess Royal” and is only ever bestowed on the monarch’s first daughter.
Princess Charlotte (2020), (The Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace via Getty Images/Getty Images Publicity via Getty Images)Originally, Henrietta wanted to honor her daughter Mary, who held the title for 18 years. Since then, this very rare royal title has only been used seven times, as not every monarch had a daughter to bestow it to. However, there are no actual royal duties attached to it. It was, in fact, created solely to make the first born daughter, often overshadowed by the first born son in those times, feel special.
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It’s also not one hundred percent sure that Princess Charlotte will inherit this title, for the simple fact that she can’t. “Princess Royal”, unlike many other royal titles, is not a directly inheritable one. Instead, it is specifically bestowed by the reigning monarch and can only be given to one person. The late Queen Elizabeth II waited until her daughter, Princess Royal Anne, was 36 in 1987 to gift it to her. One day, when Prince William ascends to the throne, it will be his decision to give his daughter this title, or not. However, Charlotte’s chances are good that she will be considered for this special honor.
Princess Charlotte (2021), (Duchess of Cambridge via Getty Images/Getty Images Publicity via Getty Images)Had you heard of this title before? What do you think of the creation of a special title for the first born daughter of the monarch? Share your thoughts with us and pass this story along!
