The Prince and Princess of Wales have traditionally shared new portraits of their children to mark their birthdays. Given that Kate Middleton is a keen photographer, she has taken the official photos for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis throughout their childhoods - and every year she shares beautiful pared back and relaxed portraits with the public.
Following the controversy surrounding the Wales' Mother's Day photo in March, it was unclear whether or not William and Kate would continue with their birthday tradition. In April, Prince Louis celebrated his 6th birthday, and according to royal experts the Prince and Princess of Wales were warned about what they should share to mark the occasion. However, the couple decided to uphold their family tradition by releasing a sweet new portrait of Louis, taken by Kate.
Today, Princess Charlotte is turning nine years old and Kate has released a sweet portrait of her daughter to celebrate her birthday. The image, which shows Charlotte smiling next to some flowers, was uploaded to the Wales' official Instagram account with the caption: "Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte! Thank you for all of the kind messages today. [Credit] The Princess of Wales."
Royal fans rushed to comment on the image and wish Charlotte a happy birthday, with one person writing: "Happy Birthday. What a lovely photo!"
But others were quick to point out how much Charlotte resembles another member of the royal family. In the past, Charlotte has been compared to the late Queen Elizabeth II - but this time, it's her likeness to her father William that is surprising people online.
Underneath the photo, one person wrote: "William said copy and paste hahaha."
Another added: "She’s his mini all the way."
Last year, many pointed out the similarities between the Princess and her dad when the Wales' shared her 8th birthday portrait. Comments on the image included, "She is her Dad's twin!" and, "You can really see William in her, they are very alike."
Happy birthday to Princess Charlotte!
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