Prince William and Kate Middleton Strayed From Tradition For Princess Charlotte’s Birthday This Year
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, celebrated her sixth birthday on May 2. Charlotte has arguably become the most popular royal child, seeing as she’s William and Kate’s only girl.
This year, though, William and Kate honored Charlotte a bit differently than usual.
Princess Charlotte built a reputation for herself early on
When Charlotte was born, the public was thrilled to learn that William and Kate had welcomed a daughter. Kate gave birth to Prince George back in 2013, and though he’s the heir to the throne, Charlotte’s arrival actually improved the British economy.
Dubbed “The Charlotte Effect,” people spent more money to celebrate the birth of the newest royal back in 2015. And when Charlotte made appearances, her outfits instantly flew off the shelves. Beyond that, as the little girl’s personality began to develop, people recognized that she seemed to have a charming attitude and plenty of sass. She effortlessly waves to fans upon arriving at the hospital to meet Prince Louis. Plus, who can forget the time she stuck out her tongue for the world to see?
In six short years, Princess Charlotte has become the royal everyone loves to dote on. And she’s a natural in front of the camera, as fans have seen from photos of the princess.
Prince William and Kate Middleton strayed from tradition in honoring their daughter this year
On May 2, Charlotte celebrated her sixth birthday. But something was notably different this year than in past years. William and Kate did not wish their daughter a happy birthday on Instagram with a new photo, as has been tradition for several years. The couple just did so for Prince Louis, who turned three on April 23. It’s become well known that William and Kate release new photos to mark milestones in their kids’ lives.
Rather, Queen Elizabeth released the photo. “Wishing Princess Charlotte a very happy sixth birthday today,” the caption read on the theroyalfamily Instagram account. Kate was credited for taking the photo.
It’s unclear why William and Kate did not release the photo on their own account. The couple’s account also did not wish Charlotte a happy birthday at all, despite dedicating a post to Prince Louis only days earlier. One theory is that, in the wake of Prince Philip’s death, it was nice for the queen to honor one of her young great-grandchildren.
Charlotte’s birthday came shortly after William and Kate’s 10th wedding anniversary
It’s also possible that William and Kate, who had just posted several photos and videos to honor their 10th wedding anniversary, felt the birthday celebration was a better fit coming from the queen. The future king and queen consort marked 10 years of marriage with two loving images from a photoshoot.
The two also posted a video featuring them and their children on the beach. “Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary,” the caption read. “We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family.”
