Princess Charlotte turns nine today, and fans around the world who were eagerly awaiting a new photo of the young royal had to wait a little longer than they expected to see a photo of the birthday girl.
Today, Kate and William broke tradition for the second time in weeks by delaying the release of their birthday portrait until the late morning hours of the big day.
Kensington Palace normally releases portraits of Welsh children at midnight to mark their birthdays, but Charlotte’s photo, which was captured by her mother, was withheld.
Mother-of-three Kate, who is undergoing cancer treatment, also delayed publishing a photo of her youngest son Prince Louis to mark his sixth birthday last month, with the image not appearing until the afternoon.
The Mail’s Rebecca English revealed that the couple had initially decided not to publish any photos of Louis due to his recent calls for privacy at such an “unprecedented” time for their family, but changed their minds because they wanted to thank fans for their kind Wishes to Prince Louis.
Wearing a £42 raspberry wool cardigan from Parisian brand Cyrillus paired with a denim skirt from the same brand, Princess Charlotte smiled happily for the camera.
The Princess of Wales took Prince Louis’ birthday photo to mark her youngest son turning six last month.
The Princess of Wales pictured holding a camera while taking part in a photography workshop with the ‘Action for Children’ charity in Kingston in June 2019.
And speaking to The Express, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams added that once they decided to release a photo, there was probably a lot of discussion about the best approach, given the furor over Kate’s edited Mother’s Day photo.
Overall, Richard said the moment could “emphasize Kate’s need for time, space and privacy.”
Describing the “controversial” subject of her Mother’s Day portrait, she described the reaction as a “very embarrassing setback.”
She added that not rushing to post a birthday photo of Louis could also “emphasize his need for time, space and privacy which he expressed so poignantly” in the video message revealing he has cancer.
Earlier this year, the Princess of Wales detailed how the cancer cells were discovered, while undergoing surgery for a different condition in January.
2022: This image of Princess Charlotte, taken at Anmer Hall, the Norfolk home in Wales, was shared to commemorate the young woman’s seventh birthday. Royal observers noted her resemblance to her father in this image.
2021: Princess Charlotte is pictured on her third birthday
He explained that he hadn’t talked about it before because he wanted to have time to “explain everything” to George, Charlotte and Louis and assure them “I’m going to be okay.”
In March, royal fans were thrown into crisis after the Associated Press issued a “takedown notice” over a photograph of the Princess of Wales and her three children that had been published for Mother’s Day.
It was the first official photo released of Kate after she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
That night, the Associated Press became the first agency to “kill” the photo for an “inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
While the AP said there was no suggestion the photo was fake, it backtracked because it said that upon closer inspection the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet the agency’s photography standards.
The following day, the Princess of Wales admitted that she edited the Mother’s Day photo herself and apologized for “any confusion” it had caused.
In 2018, Princess Charlotte’s birthday photo included a photo with her new little brother Louis.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been seen searching for a festive fir tree in Windsor Great Park alongside their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte (pictured together in December 2022).
A statement from the Princess of Wales read: “Like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time.
‘I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photograph we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C’
Two weeks later, the Princess of Wales announced she was battling cancer, amid growing pressure for the Palace to comment on her condition.
The Princess of Wales is believed to have announced her cancer diagnosis on March 22, as that was the day George, Charlotte and Louis left Lambrook School in Bracknell for their Easter holidays.
The announcement may have been timed so that your children wouldn’t have to immediately face questions on the playground after the news became public.
The family reportedly spent the Easter holidays together as they adjusted to Kate’s diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery.
In the emotional message, which was filmed in Windsor, Kate revealed that the news came as a “huge shock” and that she and William “have been doing everything they can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
Kate was last seen with her family attending church in Sandringham on December 25, 2023.
Speaking from a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring flowers, he said: “It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way appropriate to them, and to reassure them that I am going to be fine.”
‘As I have told you; I’m doing well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit.
‘Having William by my side is also a great source of comfort and peace of mind. As has the love, support and kindness that many of you have shown. It means a lot to both of us.
Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing a planned operation at The London Clinic in January.
The source also told PEOPLE that Kate and William are also prioritizing family time as “having fun together when they can is very important.”
She explained: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time my condition was thought to be non-cancerous,” she said.
‘The surgery was a success. However, tests after the operation found that there was cancer.
“Therefore, my medical team recommended that I undergo preventive chemotherapy treatment and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
The announcement shocked everyone and came after weeks of speculation (and wild conspiracy theories) about his health. He also created a new crisis for the Royal Family at a time when King Charles is also battling cancer. In January, Sarah, the Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer, just six months after being treated for breast cancer.
However, this week will hopefully be a quiet relief for Kate, who has previously spoken about how much she loves her children’s birthdays.
The royal has previously said that she is known for staying up late the night before her children’s birthday to bake a homemade cake for their special day.
In 2019, in the one-off special A Berry Royal Christmas, she told Mary Berry: ‘I love making the cake.
“It’s become a tradition for me to stay up until midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and frosting and I make too much, but I love it.”
The Waleses intended to release a photograph for Louis’ birthday despite the frenzy over the doctored family photo issued by Kensington Palace on Mother’s Day, sources close to the family said last month.
However, the photo of the radiant young prince was finally posted, and the account wishes him a very happy birthday.
The photo was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales, who often photographs birthday portraits of her children.
The caption reads: ‘Happy 6th birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.”
As the beaming prince looks into the camera, he is lying face down and looks like an adult with his brown hair swept to the side and a smart plaid shirt.
He appears to be wearing dark pants and is lying on a wool blanket.
The Welsh have released a new photo of Charlotte every year to mark her birthday.
Last year, Charlotte was photographed cuddling up to Orla, the family’s black cocker spaniel, as she recreated her seventh birthday portrait.
The birthday girl dressed in a £23 Boden blue and white striped jumper, a white button-down blouse and a pair of blue jeans.
Charlotte, happy and relaxed in front of the camera, appears to be lying in a meadow for her annual birthday portrait.
Although the couple did not reveal exactly where the photo was taken, it appears to be a very similar setting to previous family portraits, which were taken in the grounds of Amner Hall in Norfolk.
The image was taken by photographer Millie Pilkington, who Kate and William also used for Prince Louis’ fifth birthday portrait.
For her sixth birthday, Charlotte wore a Rachel Riley summer floral dress and her biggest smile while Kate also captured some of her mischief. Women from the mother’s side of the family share similar traits.
