Kate Middleton and Prince William have released a new photo of their daughter, Princess Charlotte, to mark her 9th birthday, which is on Thursday. And it is a real one. In the photo captured by Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's daughter is seen casually posing outdoors next to a clematis plant adorned with pink petals.
Charlotte's birthday arrives as the Wales family deals with Kate's cancer treatment, which has kept the princess away from official engagements since the beginning of the year. The photograph was shared on the royal couple's official social media account, accompanied by the message "Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!" along with a cake emoji.
To Their Daughter With Love
"Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte! Thank you for all of the kind messages today," the Prince and Princess of Wales captioned the photo. The photo was captured by the Duchess of Cambridge, who recently faced criticism for altering a photo of herself and her children shared on UK Mother's Day on March 10.
Although there's limited information available about Charlotte, who is the third in line to the throne, her mother once affectionately referred to her as "the one in charge."
Charlotte's leadership role became evident at the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, as she was seen reminding her older brother, Prince George, to bow to the coffin.
Charlotte also demonstrated her caring nature by keeping in check her younger brother, Prince Louis during the Trooping The Colour ceremony by calming him down by placing her hand over his.
United During Time of Crisis
Charlotte's last public appearance was on Christmas Day when she accompanied her family to church at Sandringham. This outing also marked the last time Middleton, 42, was seen in public before the Palace released a video of her addressing her health on March 22.
She is currently undergoing cancer treatment following her diagnosis.
In February, Charles, 75, revealed his cancer diagnosis. It's understood that Middleton chose to announce her diagnosis to the public before her and William's three children—Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5—left school for the Easter break.
According to The New York Post, the Waleses took a gentler approach in discussing Middleton's health with their youngest son, Louis, "sugarcoating" the situation. However, they had a more challenging conversation with George and Charlotte.
As Middleton undergoes treatment, her parents, Michael, 74, and Carole Middleton, 69, are stepping up to support their grandchildren during this challenging period.
Charlotte's birthday comes just a week after her younger brother Prince Louis celebrated his 6th birthday. William, 41, and Middleton also have a son, Prince George, who will turn 11 on July 22.
