CELEBRATING TURNING EIGHT WITH A TRIP TO THE BALLET PRINCESS CHARLOTTE IS ALL SMILES IN TWO NEW PORTAITS RELEASED TO MARK HER BIRTHDAY
REPORT: TRACY SCHAVERIEN
G rinning broadly, Princess Charlotte is all grown up in these new photographs to mark her eighth birthday.
The images include one captured by her mother the Princess of Wales at their home in Windsor, with the young royal in a white smock dress, decorated with tiny blue flowers, leaning back in a wicker chair and smiling into the camera.
In the other, taken by photographer Millie Pilkington, the Princess is seen in a meadow of flowers, cuddling the family’s beloved black cocker spaniel Orla.
GRANDFATHER’S LOVE
Charlotte’s grandfather the King and the Queen were among those sending good wishes, resharing one of the images online with the caption: “Happy 8th birthday to Princess Charlotte,” accompanied by a party popper emoji.
In an early celebration the weekend before Charlotte’s birthday last week, Kate took her daughter to an afternoon at the ballet in London’s Covent Garden.
The pair were spotted in the audience at the Royal Opera House with what appeared to be a group of Charlotte’s friends, enjoying Cinderella, a co-production by the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.
A fellow theatre-goer told of her surprise at seeing the royal party, writing on Twitter: “Wonderful ballet with fabulous performances by a great cast. And who should be in the audience? The Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte and her friends.”
To the delight of the birthday girl, the youngsters were invited to join the dancers on stage after the show. A video clip posted on Instagram shows Charlotte, wearing a frilly fuchsia dress, with her hair in a bun, waving an illuminated wand and trying to catch glitter as it falls from above.
At one point, Kate, in wide-legged trousers, an ivory blouse from Ghost and black ballet flats, is seen giving her daughter a hug.
Both Kate and her husband the Prince have spoken about Charlotte’s love of ballet – a passion shared by her grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales.
The young Princess has been having weekly ballet lessons since she was three and “absolutely loves” dancing, said Kate.
Prince William,
meanwhile, once described his family’s chaotic morning routine as including Charlotte “running around the kitchen in her dresses and ballet stuff”.
SIGNIFICANT NAMES
Charlotte Elizabeth Diana came into the world on 2 May 2015 at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London’s Paddington, where her father and brothers – Prince George, now nine, and five-year-old Prince Louis – were born
