Princess Charlotte takes her first steps in public... and keeps her parents on their toes
Charlotte makes a beeline for balloons, uttering her first words in public, writes Hannah Furness
With a few steps of her determined little legs, Princess Charlotte took her first strides into the world of royal duties yesterday, making a star appearance at a children’s tea party. Princess Charlotte, just 16 months old, charmed the watching world with her adorable entrance to the party.
And while organisers pulled out all the stops to provide every bit of entertainment a child could wish for, Princess Charlotte appeared to fall in love with one thing: the balloons.
The toddler and her big brother Prince George, three, appeared besotted with a range of inflatables, making a beeline for them the moment her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, set her down on the grass.
So excited was the little Princess that they inspired what appeared to be her first words in public, exclaiming “pop” before summoning her father with a lively “Dada!” Prince George showed off how much he has grown since he last played with other children in public, telling a balloon maker all about his knowledge of lava as he made him a volcano.
The outing, on the lawn at Government House in Victoria, Canada, saw the two children join 24 military families, with the Duke and Duchess watching on proudly.
After making an entrance as a family of four down the steps, the Prince and Princess’ small faces lit up as they saw the treats ahead of them, including puppets, bubbles and a petting zoo starring a Nubian goat and miniature ponies named Honey and TC.
After a quick introduction, the Princess barely paused for breath before scampering across the grass to a balloon archway, excitedly hitting it and attempting to pick it up.
Her brother, a little more boisterous than during his shy appearance at Victoria airport a few days ago, followed quickly behind her before the pair entered the fray.
If they had been missing their own dog Lupo, the Princess more than made up for it after taking a shine to Moose, a six-year-old golden retriever poodle cross used for cancer therapy. Stroking him with the encouragement of her mother, she sat firmly on his back to bounce up and down.
Prince George, meanwhile, looked as if he is set to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandmother, the Queen, after confidently mounting a miniature horse to pose for pictures.
The pair later showed a glimpse of sibling rivalry after the Prince spotted his sister being made a balloon animal and ran over to ask: “Can I have one?”
Paul Kilshaw, the children’s entertainer, said: “William said, ‘We try making balloons at home but it doesn’t work.’” At one point, Charlotte appeared to “knight” Mr Kilshaw, tapping him on the shoulder with her long-stemmed flower.
While the Princess, dressed in a blue Pepa & Co dress with red embroidery across the bodice, spent most of the morning with her mother, the Prince was entertained by his father at a bubble blowing station. After laying his hands on an orange fish-shaped bubble gun, he made his parents laugh after squirting bubbles over his family before watching the Duke create giant versions for all the children.
Andrea Callaghan, 41, and her daughter Brielle, three, met the Duchess and Princess Charlotte at the party. “Charlotte was chewing on her fingers so I asked if she was teething and yes, it’s very normal,” she said.
“She talked about bath time and how she [Charlotte] is always hungry.”
After the party, Prince George and Princess Charlotte enjoyed the rest of the day in private with their parents.
Today, they will remain at Government House with their nanny while the Duke and Duchess travel to the beautiful islands of Haida Gwaii for a day of outdoor pursuits.