Kate Middleton and Prince William took to social media to celebrate their daughter’s birthday, making it royally official.
“Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!” they wrote on X, alongside a portrait of Charlotte taken by Middleton. “Thank you for all of the kind messages today.”
Although the time and location of the photograph remain uncertain, the image appears to subtly honor the late Queen Elizabeth. Princess Charlotte is captured beside pale pink flowers, known as Clematis Elizabeth blooms, named in tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
Fans expressed their birthday greetings in response to the social media post.
“Happy Birthday to Princess Charlotte,” one Royal admirer wrote. “Beautiful inside and out. Supportive sister, loving daughter. Am enjoying seeing her grow up and flourish. Hope the cake-baking was fun!”
Some X denizens noted the striking resemblance Princess Charlotte has to Prince William.
“She’s growing up so fast and isn’t she the image of her father? Happy birthday lil one,” a royal fan wrote. “William literally said, “Copy and paste.” Happy Birthday,” another fan quipped.
Kate Middleton’s Latest Family Portrait Follows a Photo Altering Controversy
The birthday photo was released almost two months after the Princess of Wales faced a photo editing scandal, when she shared a picture with her three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, on Mother’s Day in the UK.
Middleton confessed to altering the photo following observations of inconsistencies, notably the absence of her engagement and wedding rings.
Charlotte was most recently seen in public on Christmas Day, as she accompanied her family to church on the Sandringham estate. She and her siblings have been kept away from public scrutiny recently, during a period of turmoil for their family.
Kate Middleton, who has kept a low profile throughout 2024, disclosed in March that she was diagnosed with cancer.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery,” Middleton revealed in the video released in March.
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.”
She detailed that following her abdominal surgery in December, her condition was initially deemed “non-cancerous.” Nevertheless, subsequent examinations revealed the presence of cancer. Her medical team recommended commencing chemotherapy.
She mentioned the time needed to recover from surgery, start treatment, and explain her condition to their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis while reassuring them of her recovery.