New picture of Princess Charlotte released on her ninth birthday

Princess Charlotte photographed by the Princess of Wales

A new photograph of Princess Charlotte, taken by the Princess of Wales, has been released to celebrate her ninth birthday.

The photograph was taken in the past few days at the family home in Windsor.  It was published on social media by Kensington Palace.

The young Princess is shown beaming as she leans against a fence covered in pink flowers.

With her long hair draped over her arm, she is wearing a red cardigan, short denim skirt and tights.

An accompanying message reads: “Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!

“Thank you for all of the kind messages today.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales’s daughter beams for the camera

The photograph was released as part of a now 10-year-old tradition set by the Wales family, in which they share an image of their children to mark their birthdays.

The Princess of Wales was upset by the controversy surrounding the family’s Mother’s Day portrait, which she admitted had been edited at home before its release.

Since then, the family has chosen not to share such images with news and picture agencies in advance.

Instead, as they did for Prince Louis’s 6th birthday on April 23, they have shared the birthday photograph directly via social media.

In the latest image, Princess Charlotte is wearing the same cardigan she wore in the Mother’s Day portrait.

The Prince and Princess have often sought to dress their children in the same clothes in an effort to avoid undue focus on their fashion choices.

Third in line to the throne, Charlotte attends the co-educational private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire and loves dancing, especially ballet and tap.

She has a reputation for being feisty compared with her elder brother Prince George. Her mother once admitted that her daughter was “the one in charge”.

The youngster was spotted reminding George to bow to the coffin of their late great-grandmother, Elizabeth II, at her state funeral, and she kept Prince Louis in check during Trooping the Colour by placing her hand over his to calm his over-enthusiastic waving to the crowds from the carriage.

This time last year, Charlotte was preparing for her grandfather the King’s coronation, during which she processed through Westminster Abbey hand in hand with Louis.

She wore a mini-me version of her mother’s silver bullion, crystal and silver thread headpiece by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen.

The dress was McQueen with an ivory silk crepe cape, decorated in rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs – emblems which also featured on her mother’s dress.

The young Princess was last seen in public on Christmas Day when she walked to church with her family and second cousin Mia Tindall at Sandringham.

The Wales family spent quality time together during the Easter holidays after the Princess’s announcement about her cancer diagnosis.

Since then, the Princess has remained out of the public eye but Prince William returned to work last month.

His first official engagement since the Princess revealed her diagnosis was at a food distribution charity in Surrey, where he was given cards of support from well-wishers.

William appeared touched by a message from volunteer Rachel Candappa, who told him to “take care” of his wife. He replied: “I will.”

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