Last July, Princess Kate Middleton made a triumphant return to public life with an appearance at Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. Royal watchers were thrilled to see her back in action following her cancer announcement three months prior. But it was Kate’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, who stole the show, waving to the adoring crowd and later chatting with winner Carlos Alcaraz as a beaming Kate looked on. “Charlotte confidently shook hands with players and talked to adults like it was no big deal,” says royal commentator Amanda Matta. “Her ease in the spotlight is striking.”
Since her public debut outside St. Mary’s Hospital 10 hours after her birth, Charlotte has been charming the masses. The world has seen her transform from a cheeky toddler to a poised and self-assured tween who loves Taylor Swift, horses and hanging out with her brothers, Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 7 (she’s known for keeping her younger sibling in check during royal engagements). As they celebrate her milestone 10th birthday on May 2, William, 42, and Kate, 43, couldn’t be more proud of their feisty little go-getter. As royal expert Sharon Carpenter notes, “They’ve watched Charlotte grow into a smart, confident and funny girl who knows how to hold her own both in the spotlight and outside of it.”
Charlotte’s World
By most accounts, Charlotte is well-rounded and a good student at Lambrook School, where she goes by Charlotte Cambridge. “Her teachers treat her like any other student,” Matta tells Us Weekly. “She’s reportedly bright and diligent, and she’s said to be multilingual with a particular interest in Spanish.” Outside of the classroom, she enjoys gymnastics (“She’s often cartwheeling around the house,” says Matta), sports like tennis and archery and “anything adventurous,” Matta adds. In 2023, Kate revealed Charlotte has a passion for ballet and tap, and William once boasted that she’d mastered the art of flossing. Matta notes that the young princess is “also a budding baker” and that she “loves watching movies with her brothers.” (Kate’s shared that Toy Story is one of her favorites!)
Home at Adelaide Cottage, Charlotte runs the house. “She’s the boss of the family,” says a royal insider. “Charlotte rules the roost.” Adds royal historian Marlene Koenig: “[Kate] describes Charlotte as independent and ‘the one in charge.’” William has hinted as much: In November, he revealed that she initially made him shave off his new beard. “Charlotte didn’t like it the first time,” he said. “I got floods of tears … Then I grew it back, and I convinced her it was going to be OK.”
She may be sporty and outdoorsy, but Charlotte is also fashionable and girly. “She’s following closely in her mother’s footsteps when it comes to her princess style, and she’s now regarded as a major child fashion icon,” notes Carpenter. As for her cheeky side, that comes from William. Adds Carpenter, “Charlotte has a sassy sense of humor, just like her dad.”
Last summer, she left lasting impressions on Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason, who were equally impressed by Charlotte’s bold personality after meeting her backstage at Swift’s Eras Tour stop in London. “[She’s a] superstar,” Travis said on his “New Heights” podcast days later, adding that William “is doing it right” when it comes to parenting. “She had a fire to her. She was asking questions; that was probably the most electric part of it,” replied Jason. (Like most Swifties, Charlotte loves friendship bracelets; William wore one that read “Papa” during his November trip to South Africa, and in July, Charlotte and her grandfather, King Charles, 76, sported matching ones within days of each other.)
She’s close with Charles — he was spotted hugging her during a run-through for his May 2023 coronation — and Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton, who stepped in to help with the kids while Kate was in treatment for cancer (she announced she was in remission in January). “Carole’s involved in the day-to-day family life,” says Matta. “She and Charlotte bake, garden and enjoy the outdoors together.” Kate and William make sure the kids divide time with their extended family: In late April, they skipped Charles’ annual Easter gathering at Windsor Castle and spent it at their Norfolk country home with Kate’s mom and dad.
Hands-On Parents
Kate and William are intent on giving Charlotte and her brothers as normal of a childhood as possible, given their royal status. “While royals of previous generations have been known to take a cooler, more distant approach, William and Kate have made it a priority to create a loving, nurturing environment for their young family,” says Carpenter, noting that William’s late mom, Princess Diana, “broke the mold” with showing affectionate in public.
According to the royal insider, “William is trying to avoid the ‘heir and the spare’ dynamic that has haunted the royal family for the previous generations. He and Kate want Charlotte to recognize that she’s her own person with an identity that goes way beyond her place within the royal family.” It’s something particularly pertinent given William’s brother Harry’s remarks in his 2023 memoir, Spare. “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B,” he wrote. “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy… This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter.”
Kate and William are both hands-on and involved in daily activities, including school runs and after-school commitments. “Kate is known to attend school events and even communicates with other parents via WhatsApp,” says Matta. William and Kate scale back on royal duties when school isn’t in session — they were spotted skiing in the French Alps during the kids’ recent spring break.
Too cute! Princess Charlotte’s expressions often make headlines for stealing the spotlight at royal engagements. Prince William and Princess Kate welcomed Charlotte in May 2015. They are also parents of sons Prince George and Prince Louis. “William and Kate very much prioritize bringing up the children in as normal an environment as possible over anything […]
The family employs a nanny but no live-in staff, and Charlotte has chores, including cleaning her room, setting the table for dinner and helping take care of Orla, the family’s cocker spaniel. “She really enjoys helping her mother out in the kitchen and will likely be quite the chef when she gets older,” says Carpenter. “William and Kate are teaching their kids to be responsible, and we hear that their chores are sometimes rewarded with pocket money.” Carpenter adds that screen time is limited: “Charlotte and her brothers are encouraged to play outside or get creative.”
Kate and William — who celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29 during a two-day trip to Scotland — are also big on manners. “The Wales’ do not stand on ceremony,” says Koening, “but have made sure their children are aware of their special position [and value] good manners, education and caring for others.”
A Charmed Life
As grounded as she may be, Charlotte is a princess — and is, of course, afforded some rare luxuries. She was given a pony when she turned 7, and Matta tells Us she ushered in her big day that year with a party at Kensington Palace. In 2023, Matta says Charlotte and her friends were treated to a ballet performance at the Royal Opera House. The young princess also has an enviable wardrobe, and her clothes often sell out soon after she wears them. “Her influence, known as the ‘Charlotte Effect,’ helps drive sales,” says Carpenter. “It’s estimated that Charlotte will be worth between a whopping 3 and 4 billion pounds to the U.K. economy over her lifetime — way more than even her brother George, who will one day be king.” However, while one might expect a princess to be either spoiled or soft-spoken and shy, Carpenter adds, “Charlotte is neither of the above.”
What’s Ahead
Koenig predicts Charlotte will begin carrying out official engagements when she turns 18. “As she gets through her teens, there will be talk of her being an asset,” Koenig explains, “and the secret weapon for the royal family.” Carpenter notes that while it’s unlikely Charlotte will ever be queen (she’s third in line to the throne after her father and brother George), “she’s still a crucial member of the royal family and is expected to play a pivotal role in the monarchy.”
Clearly, she has what it takes to handle a life of public service. “Charlotte seems to embrace her royal role with a surprising amount of confidence for someone her age,” says Matta. But William and Kate won’t let her get too ahead of herself. Says Carpenter: “As much as they are slowly preparing Charlotte for more responsibility, they are really intentional about letting her be a kid for as long as possible.”
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