Princess Charlotte Celebrates Her 8th Birthday with New Portrait — Taken by Mom Kate Middleton!

Kate Middleton and Prince William's daughter is growing up!

By
Simon Perry
Simon Perry
Simon Perry
Simon Perry is a writer and correspondent at PEOPLE. He has more than 25 years’ experience at PEOPLE covering the royals, human interest and celebrity.
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Published on May 1, 2023 05:38PM EDT
Princess Charlotte. https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1653149506152660992/photo/1. The Prince and Princess of Wales/Twitter
Princess Charlotte. Photo: The Prince and Princess of Wales/Twitter

Princess Charlotte is growing up!

Proud parents Kate Middleton and Prince William released a new photo of the young princess to celebrate her 8th birthday on May 2. The close-up shot shows Princess Charlotte flashing a big smile for the camera while seemingly lounging in a hammock. She wore a summer dress from Trotters.

The image was taken by Kate in Windsor this past weekend — keeping with the tradition of the Princess of Wales, who has described herself as an "enthusiastic amateur photographer," getting behind the camera for her three children's milestone moments.

"The Prince and Princess of Wales are delighted to share a new photograph of Princess Charlotte ahead of her eighth birthday tomorrow," the palace said in a statement.

The couple captioned the photo on Instagram, "Wishing Princess Charlotte a very happy birthday! 8 tomorrow," along with a red balloon and birthday cake emoji.

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Princess Charlotte. https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1653149506152660992/photo/1. The Prince and Princess of Wales/Twitter
Princess Charlotte. The Prince and Princess of Wales/Twitter

Last year for her 7th birthday, Kate and Prince William released three new snaps of their daughter. One portrait showed Princess Charlotte posing in a field of bluebells near the family's country home, Anmer Hall, while another featured the princess hugging the family's dog, Orla.

This year, Princess Charlotte's birthday week will be a busy one. She is is expected to join her parents, 9-year-old brother Prince George and possibly 5-year-old brother Prince Louis for the coronation on Saturday that will see their grandfather King Charles crowned at Westminster Abbey.

But there are days of preparation and rehearsals ahead. Last week, Princess Kate, 41, told well-wishers in Wales that she had to get some "wardrobe done" — and no doubt that involves Princess Charlotte and her siblings too.

At the crowning ceremony on May 6, Princess Charlotte may watch as her dad Prince William bows in homage to his father at a key moment just after the crowning.

The Wales children are expected to take part in a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey following the service. They may also join King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 02: Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour during Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. Trooping The Colour, also known as The Queen's Birthday Parade, is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army that has taken place since the mid-17th century. It marks the official birthday of the British Sovereign. This year, from June 2 to June 5, 2022, there is the added celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. Karwai Tang/WireImage

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The new photos of Princess Charlotte come just after other landmarks for the family. On Saturday, Prince William and Princess Kate marked their 12th wedding anniversary by releasing a new portrait, showing the couple cycling in Norfolk last summer.

Late last month, the royal parents marked the 5th birthday of Princess Charlotte's little brother Prince Louis with two new snaps — breaking with tradition by issuing pictures taken by a professional photographer rather than by Kate. In fact, the Princess of Wales made a surprise cameo appearance in one of the two images, taking Prince Louis for a ride in a wheelbarrow.