20 MAY 2017
S
he’s fourth in line to the
British throne, but Princess
Charlotte – who celebrates
her second birthday on
May 2 – has never let her
royal status get in the way of being
an exuberant toddler.
Just like her big brother George
(three), Charlotte is full of fun and
won hearts in Canada when she
travelled there on her first official
royal tour in October last year, in
particular during a playdate where
was enchanted by balloons, a bunny
and a service dog called Moose.
The princess is a big fan of animals,
especially the family spaniel, Lupo,
who licks her face, steals her rice
cakes and knocks her over with his
wagging tail, but is her best friend.
She also has a hamster called Marvin.
With a cheeky older brother, Princess
Charlotte Elizabeth Diana (named
after her great-grandmother and her
grandma, the late Princess Diana) has
learnt to hold her own and is described
by mum Kate as having a “feisty”
side and being the one who “rules the
roost” in the Cambridge home.
She’s also a keen horserider,
following in the footsteps of the
Queen, who at 91 still rides often.
With her outgoing personality,
Charlotte is likely to thrive at nursery
school when she starts later this year
after the Cambridges’ move from their
Norfolk home to Kensington Palace in
London. George will start prep school
at the same time and the pair – who
Kate has said have grown very close –
will no doubt miss their time together.
But they have been lucky to enjoy the
tranquillity and “normal” upbringing of
their time in the rural idyll of Norfolk.
As fourth in line to the throne,
Charlotte will be an important figure
in the monarchy in the years to come.
In recent decades the younger
siblings of future monarchs – such as
Princess Margaret and Prince Harry –
have been more happy-go-lucky and
more likely to break conventions. But
it remains to be seen what type of
character the littlest royal will be. For
now, she is happy simply bringing a
smile to the faces of her adoring mum
and dad – and the watching world.AWWCharlotte accompanied her parents, William and Kate, and brother George on tour to
Canada in September last year, where the little princess enjoyed a children’s party at
Canada’s Government House. She showed her ease around animals by happily patting
a large rescue dog and was delighted with the balloon characters.PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES.