Happy Birthday!
The adorable daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrates her second birthday on May 2. We mark the occasion with our favourite photos of the little princess who has already notched up one overseas tour and charmed the world.
Princess Charlotte turns two
She’s fourth in line to the British throne, but Princess Charlotte – who celebrates her second birthday on May 2 – has never let her royal status get in the way of being an exuberant toddler.
Just like her big brother George (three), Charlotte is full of fun and won hearts in Canada when she travelled there on her first official royal tour in October last year, in particular during a playdate where was enchanted by balloons, a bunny and a service dog called Moose.
The princess is a big fan of animals, especially the family spaniel, Lupo, who licks her face, steals her rice cakes and knocks her over with his wagging tail, but is her best friend.
She also has a hamster called Marvin.
With a cheeky older brother, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana (named after her great-grandmother and her grandma, the late Princess Diana) has learnt to hold her own and is described by mum Kate as having a “feisty” side and being the one who “rules the roost” in the Cambridge home.
She’s also a keen horserider, following in the footsteps of the Queen, who at 91 still rides often.
With her outgoing personality, Charlotte is likely to thrive at nursery school when she starts later this year after the Cambridges’ move from their Norfolk home to Kensington Palace in London. George will start prep school at the same time and the pair – who Kate has said have grown very close – will no doubt miss their time together. But they have been lucky to enjoy the tranquillity and “normal” upbringing of their time in the rural idyll of Norfolk.
As fourth in line to the throne, Charlotte will be an important figure in the monarchy in the years to come.
In recent decades the younger siblings of future monarchs – such as Princess Margaret and Prince Harry – have been more happy-go-lucky and more likely to break conventions. But it remains to be seen what type of character the littlest royal will be. For now, she is happy simply bringing a smile to the faces of her adoring mum and dad – and the watching world.