PARTY PRINCESS
THE LITTLEST ROYAL IS SOON TO MARK HER SECOND BIRTHDAY
Royal cutie Charlotte turns two
For Princess Charlotte, Tuesday May 2 will be all about cake, presents and visits from members of her extended family as she celebrates her second birthday.
For the rest of us, it will be excitement over the updated photograph her parents Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, traditionally release to mark the special occasion, giving us a rare glimpse of the youngest member of the royal family.
We’ve not seen much of the pretty little princess, or her older brother George, because their parents have stuck to their determination to give them as normal an upbringing as possible and kept them out of the public eye. Official appearances are few and far between – in fact, the last time Charlotte was seen was four months ago on Christmas Day when she attended church with her parents and brother in
Berkshire, where they were spending the festive holiday with the Middleton family.
Then she looked adorable in a warm winter coat and tights. She’d grown so much since we last saw her in September during her first official overseas trip to Canada and is likely to have changed even more since then.
The birthday portraits have become something of a tradition in the Cambridge household, with the photographs that have so far been released of George and Charlotte both being taken by Kate. She’s been praised for her photography skills and ability to capture natural, relaxed images of her children.
Kate and William relish the fact that they have been able to keep George (3) and Charlotte’s childhoods low-key so far. They have given out a few details during official visits about what their children are like, with Kate (35) revealing to another mum during their Canadian visit that Charlotte has a strong personality and rules the roost in their household. “She’s the one in charge,” said Kate.
The bubbly youngster will no doubt enjoy the attention on her big day. Guests at her party will include her cousins Mia Tindall and Savannah and Isla Phillips, along with local children Charlotte has come to know. No doubt her grandparents Michael and Carole Middleton will
provide party goodies from their business Party Planners.
This will be the last time for a while that she will celebrate her birthday while living at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. The Cambridges will be based at their London home, Kensington Palace, from later this year after William
(34) leaves his job as an air ambulance pilot and takes on more royal responsibilities.
George will be starting at school, Thomas’s Battersea, in September, while Charlotte will be enrolled at a local daycare, so the bulk of their time will be spent in London from this year.
While there will be less privacy for the family in the English capital than in their rural home, it’s expected that William and Kate will do their best to enjoy family life away from the press.
“It is very important to them that George and Charlotte get to do everyday things,” says a royal insider.
Kate has explained that she and William also feel it is crucial for their children to learn qualities such as kindness, respect and honesty. “William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte, just how important these things are as they grow up. In my view, it is just as important as excelling at maths or sports.”
‘Charlotte has a strong personality and rules the roost’