Princess Charlotte is the spitting image of her mom, Kate Middleton, in a new video released to commemorate her 11th birthday.
The video shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales via Instagram on Saturday, May 2, showcases the young royal spending some quality time with her two cocker spaniels, Orla and Otto. Princess Charlotte is also seen writing out “I ❤️U” in seashells on a beach and pitching a ball overhand with some impressive speed.
“Thank you for the lovely birthday messages for Princess Charlotte, 11 today,” the royal Instagram account wrote alongside the birthday video on Saturday.
In addition to the celebratory video, Prince William and Kate, 44, followed traditional royal protocol by sharing a new official portrait of their daughter for her birthday. (Last year, the then-10-year-old beamed while wearing a long-sleeve camouflage jacket in a photo shot and shared by her mother.)
Following her 10th birthday in 2025, multiple royal experts spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about Princess Charlotte showing maturity while stepping into life as a young royal.
“[Her parents] have 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,” royal watcher Sharon Carpenter told Us.
Us learned that the princess was excelling at Lambrook School in the Berkshire countryside, where she goes by Charlotte Cambridge. Royal commentator Amanda Matta revealed to Us that Charlotte is a budding baker outside of school and enjoys sports such as tennis, gymnastics, archery and “anything adventurous.”
“She’s the boss of the family,” a royal insider told Us. “Charlotte rules the roost.”
Earlier this month, Us reported on how Prince and Princess of Wales have kept their family united despite Kate and King Charles III’s cancer battles, the scandal involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein and ongoing estrangement from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Princess Charlotte’s 2026 birthday portrait. Courtesy Instagram / Prince and Princess of Wales
“William and Kate have been through so much, but they always have each other’s backs,” a source told Us. “They are incredibly connected.”
Royal historian Marlene Koenig shared with Us that William, 43, has always been determined to avoid the pitfalls faced by his own parents with his marriage to Kate. (Princess Diana divorced then-Prince Charles in 1996 after 15 years of marriage. The princess died at age 36 in August 1997 in a car crash in Paris.)
Princess Kate and Prince William have marked each of their children’s birthdays over the years with new portraits. The sweet tradition began when their eldest son, Prince George, celebrated his first year in July 2014. The little one walked in the photo taken by John Stillwell, looking all grown up in Petit Bateau denim overalls, […]
“Diana and Charles didn’t have the real time to get to know each other,” Koenig explained to Us. “[William] was determined to allow his relationship with Kate to grow. It’s a much more modern marriage.”
William and Kate share three children: sons Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, 8, and daughter Princess Charlotte. The royal couple tied the knot on April 29, 2011, at the historic Westminster Abbey in London, England.
