Princess Charlotte, the daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, celebrated her tenth birthday last week. To mark the milestone, the royal couple released a candid photo taken by her mother, Kate, on an iPhone.
The photo captured Charlotte’s adventurous spirit, showing her beaming outdoors in a leaf-patterned Jack Pyke waterproof camouflage jacket and a backpack, her long hair swept back in a ponytail.
According to royal commentator Phil Dampier, speaking to HELLO!, Charlotte possesses a maturity beyond her years and has been “a great source of strength” to her mother during Kate’s ongoing cancer treatment.
Dampier also notes that Charlotte seems to reflect qualities from both her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her great-aunt, the Princess Royal.
“Winston Churchill once said of Queen Elizabeth that he had never seen such maturity in a child so young, and Charlotte seems to have inherited that trait from her great-grandmother, to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance,” he explains.
“I’m told that Charlotte has also inherited from the late Queen a brilliant ability to mimic prominent figures.
“She’s a kind soul with a reputation for being feisty and keeping her brothers under control.”
Along with the likeness in appearance, Charlotte also seems to share her great-grandmother’s energetic nature. Queen Elizabeth II was passionate about country life and even served in the women’s army unit, the Auxiliary Territorial Service, during World War II.
Charlotte’s birthday portrait revealed a side of her not often seen in previous images, where she typically appeared in dresses or formal outfits at royal events. This year, William and Kate broke tradition by presenting her in camouflage attire.
“Charlotte certainly looks ready for action; it’s great to see her looking so informal and relaxed, and clearly having a wonderful time,” said HELLO! royal editor Emily Nash.
“We know how strongly Kate advocates for children to spend time in nature, and it’s also how the royals choose to spend their holidays, particularly when they go to Balmoral.
“I think Charlotte looks a lot like Prince William here, but she also reminds me of the late Queen, who loved spending time out walking, riding and shooting.
“The Princess has clearly inherited that love of being outdoors. Kate has spoken about her own family holidays to the Lake District, so it seems she is continuing that tradition with her children.”
Kate, who visited the Lake District in March in her role as joint president of the Scouts, has previously shared how important time in nature is to her, calling it a space to “balance” in “a very busy world.” She described experiencing “a very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection” when out in nature.
Charlotte also cherishes time with her father and was overjoyed when Prince William took her and Prince George, now 11, to see Taylor Swift perform at Wembley Stadium last June. The excitement grew even more when the family had a selfie taken with the pop star and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
Later, during a visit to Cape Town, William was seen wearing a friendship bracelet made by Charlotte at the concert, which spelled out “papa.” He fondly referred to it as a “relic” from the event.
He also mentioned that his new beard didn’t go over well with Charlotte.
“Charlotte didn’t like it the first time,” he shared. “I got floods of tears, so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it back; I convinced her it was going to be okay.”
Charlotte is also deeply connected to her mother. She was present at Wimbledon last July, one of Kate’s first public appearances after her cancer diagnosis.
“She reminds me of the Princess Royal, as she’s a strong character and able to tell her brothers what to do,” said Dampier.
“Because Charlotte is the first Princess to be above a living brother in the line of succession, she is growing up with a sense of responsibility. She is great pals with George and Louis, but also a sensitive and clever sister who can guide and help them.”
Kate once told another parent that Charlotte “is the one in charge”—a comment that was on full display at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral when Charlotte reminded George to bow at the right moment, and again at the King’s coronation, where she kept a watchful eye on young Louis.