Prince William and Kate Middleton's daughter, Princess Charlotte, marks her eighth birthday on May 2, just days before the coronation festivities of her grandfather, King Charles III.
Though Charlotte is not yet confirmed to be taking part in any of the official coronation celebrations, over the past 12 months she has enjoyed several royal firsts. These include her first carriage procession during the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in London; and her debut solo engagement with her parents during the Commonwealth Games.
Charlotte, born on May 2, 2015, is William and Kate's second child. Her older brother, Prince George, was born in 2013, and younger brother Prince Louis in 2018.
Here, Newsweek looks at the princess' high-profile royal year in pictures.
Princess' First Carriage Procession
The first major royal event attended by Princess Charlotte over the past year was the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for her late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.
As part of the extended weekend of festivities, William and Kate's children participated in a number of appearances, including their first royal carriage procession.
As part of the Trooping the Colour parade, Charlotte and her brothers rode from Buckingham Palace in London along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade in St James's Park to watch the special military review. The children were supervised in their carriage by Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla, who was Duchess of Cornwall at the time.
Family Fun for First Welsh Visit
During the jubilee weekend, Charlotte and older brother, Prince George, took part in their first official visit to Wales with their parents.
At the planned jubilee celebrations in the city of Cardiff, Charlotte was offered the opportunity to try her hand at conducting a band as they practiced. The princess burst into giggles during the activity, resulting in pictures widely shared by fans online.
Paddington Bear Surprise
Another Jubilee event was the Platinum Party at the Palace pop concert, staged outside of London's Buckingham Palace itself.
Opening the concert, Queen Elizabeth II surprised the crowds of spectators, including her own family, by appearing in a special pre-recorded film skit with the beloved children's character Paddington Bear.
Royal photographer Chris Jackson captured the royal family's stunned reactions to the skit at the palace, with none appearing more surprised than Charlotte.
Big Sister Jubilee Pageant Moment
At high-profile royal events, a number of royal watchers have commented on and praised Charlotte's interactions with her siblings.
During the elaborate pageant at the close of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the young princess was photographed reading a program that had a coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the cover with her younger brother, Prince Louis.
Soccer Supporter
In August 2022, Kensington Palace released a rare video of Princess Charlotte speaking in a special message. She wished good luck to the England women's soccer team—the Lionesses—ahead of their UEFA Women's Euro Championship game.
Appearing alongside her father, Prince William, the princess told the team: "Good luck and hope you win. Bye!"
First Solo Engagement
Charlotte undertook her first solo royal engagements with her parents in the summer of 2022. She accompanied them to a Commonwealth Games international sporting event being held in Birmingham, England.
The princess and her parents watched a number of sports events including hockey and swimming. The trio then met with members of the SportsAid charity, of which Kate Middleton is patron.
First Day at New School
The new school year in September 2022 saw Princess Charlotte and her siblings all start at a new school, Lambrook near Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, England.
The family had recently moved into a cottage on the castle grounds, and together they were photographed attending a school event on September 7, 2022.
Unfortunately, the following day, their first full day at the school, was the day their great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at the age of 96.
With her death came a change in title for the then-Cambridge family. William and Kate were elevated to the Prince and Princess of Wales; their children also adopted the name, with their daughter's changing from Princess Charlotte of Cambridge to Princess Charlotte of Wales.
With her grandfather King Charles III's accession, Charlotte moved one position higher in the line of succession. She is now third in line to the throne.
Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Both Princess Charlotte and her older brother, Prince George, attended the state funeral service for their great-grandmother in London on September 19, 2022.
The princess was praised for her respectful curtsy alongside other senior royal women when the late monarch's coffin passed the doors of Westminster Abbey. Charlotte also attended Elizabeth's committal service at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in Berkshire, later that same day.
Christmas at Sandringham
Traditionally members of the royal family gather at Sandringham, the monarch's estate in Norfolk, England, for Christmas celebrations. They make an annual appearance at a church service there on Christmas Day morning.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this did not happen in 2020 or 2021. However, the Wales children and their parents were present at the 2022 service, alongside the new King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
After the service, Charlotte and her brothers met members of the public who had gathered to see them, before walking back to the main house for lunch.
Easter at Windsor
Another yearly royal tradition is the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel, Windsor.
Princess Charlotte attended the service on April 9 alongside her brothers and parents. She wore a blue-and-white floral printed dress and was photographed shaking hands with members of the clergy before joining the wider royal family at the castle afterwards.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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