Princess Charlotte of Wales (Charlotte Elizabeth Diana; born 2 May 2015) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was edu ...

, and

Catherine, Princess of Wales Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely nex ...

. As a granddaughter of

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

, she is third in the

line of succession to the British throne Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 a ...

Birth

Princess Charlotte was born on 2 May 2015 in the Lindo Wing of

St Mary's Hospital, London St Mary's Hospital is an NHS hospital in Paddington, in the City of Westminster, London, founded in 1845. Since the UK's first academic health science centre was created in 2008, it has been operated by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Tru ...

, at 08:34 BST, during the reign of her great-grandmother

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

, as the second child of

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educ ...

, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Several landmarks were illuminated pink to mark her birth, including

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...

, the

London Eye The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the Unite ...

, and the

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

fountains; there were also

gun salute A gun salute or cannon salute is the use of a piece of artillery to fire shots, often 21 in number (''21-gun salute''), with the aim of marking an honor or celebrating a joyful event. It is a tradition in many countries around the world. Histo ...

s at Hyde Park and the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

. On 4 May, her name was announced as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, honouring her grandfather

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

("Charlotte" being the female diminutive of "Charles"), great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, and grandmother

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

. She has been affectionately called "Lottie" and "Mignonette" by her parents.

Upbringing

On 5 July 2015, Charlotte was christened by the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, the same church where her paternal grandmother was christened in 1961. Her

godparents In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelo ...

are her parents' cousins Laura Fellowes and Adam Middleton, and family friends Thomas van Straubenzee, James Meade, and Sophie Carter. Princess Charlotte wore the

royal christening gown A royal christening gown is an item of baptismal clothing used by a royal family at family christenings. Among those presently using such a gown are the royal families of the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sw ...

, and the ceremony used the Lily Font, which was made for Princess Victoria, with water from the River Jordan. The family lived in Anmer Hall in Norfolk during Charlotte's infancy, before moving to primarily living in

Kensington Palace Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official L ...

in 2017. In 2022, the family moved to

Adelaide Cottage Adelaide Cottage (formerly known as Adelaide Lodge) is a house in Windsor Home Park just east of Windsor Castle, in Berkshire. It is the principal residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. History In 1831, under the supervision of archit ...

Windsor Home Park The Home Park, previously known as the Little Park (and originally Lydecroft Park), is a private Royal park, administered by the Crown Estate. It lies on the eastern side of Windsor Castle in the town and former civil parish of Windsor in the ...

. On 8 September 2022, Charlotte's great-grandmother Elizabeth II died and was succeeded as monarch by her grandfather as Charles III. As such, Charlotte became third in line to the throne. The next day, Charlotte's parents were made the Prince and Princess of Wales giving her the new title of "Princess Charlotte of Wales".

Education

Charlotte started her education at the Willcocks Nursery School, near her family's home in

, in January 2018. She joined her brother Prince George at Thomas's School in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batt ...

in September 2019, where she was known as Charlotte Cambridge. Charlotte and her siblings began attending

Lambrook Lambrook is an independent preparatory school for 615 boys and girls, aged 3–13, set in of Berkshire countryside. History The school was founded in 1860 by Robert Burnside, in a large country house built in 1853 by William Budd. Burnside ini ...

, an independent preparatory school in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...

in September 2022.

Official appearances

Cambridge family at Trooping the Colour 2019 - 03

On 11 June 2016, she made her first public appearance, which was on the balcony of

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

during Trooping the Colour. She accompanied her parents and elder brother, George, on their royal tour of Canada in September 2016 and on their diplomatic visit to Poland and Germany in July 2017. In December 2019, Charlotte and George both attended their first Sandringham Christmas Day Service at St Mary Magdalene. In March 2020, she joined her siblings, George and Louis, in an online video to applaud key workers during the coronavirus pandemic. In September 2020, they met

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histo ...

; Kensington Palace subsequently released a video of them asking Attenborough questions regarding

environmental conservation *Environmental protection *Nature conservation Nature conservation is the moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protec ...

. On 11 December 2020, the children made their first

red carpet A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events. History The earliest known reference ...

appearance accompanying their parents to the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

for a performance of a

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

held to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic. On 20 June 2021, Charlotte and George accompanied their father to start a Father's Day half-marathon race for the Run Sandringham event on the Sandringham Estate. On 29 March 2022, Charlotte accompanied her parents and elder brother to a service of thanksgiving for the life of the late

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

. On 2 June 2022, during her great-grandmother's

Platinum Jubilee A platinum jubilee is a celebration held to mark an anniversary. Among monarchies, it usually refers to a 70th anniversary. The most recent monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other C ...

celebration weekend, Charlotte and her siblings made their debut in the Trooping the Colour carriage procession. The procession was followed by a flypast, during which all three Cambridge children joined their parents, The Queen, and other working royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony. A couple of days later, on 4 June, Charlotte and George made their first official visit to Wales with their parents, where they attended concert rehearsals in

Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle ( cy, Castell Caerdydd) is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top ...

, part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Later that same day, Charlotte and George accompanied their parents to the Platinum Party at the Palace. The next day, on 5 June, Charlotte attended the

Platinum Jubilee Pageant The Platinum Jubilee Pageant was held on Sunday, 5 June 2022 near Buckingham Palace, as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Conceived and directed by David Zolkwer with Pageant Master, Adrian Evans, it featured over 10,0 ...

with her parents and brothers. Following the pageant she joined her parents, brothers, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall on the Buckingham Palace balcony. On 19 September 2022, Charlotte and her brother Prince George, accompanied by their parents, attended the

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of ...

of their paternal great-grandmother

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

In the media

Despite the efforts of her parents to shelter their children from the press, each photograph or public appearance of Charlotte has caused a media frenzy. According to shopping statistics and polls among parents, Charlotte is a major children's style icon. Retailers, particularly in clothing, benefit greatly from their products appearing in photographs of the Princess. The phenomenon has been referred to as the "Princess Charlotte effect" or "Charlotte effect". Brand Finance have estimated that she will be worth more than £3 billion to the British economy throughout her lifetime. In July 2018, ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

'' valued her at $5 billion or £3.8 billion.

Title and styles

Charlotte is a British princess with the official

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

and title "Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Wales". Before her father was created

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

on 9 September 2022, Charlotte was styled "Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge".

Succession

Charlotte is third in the

, after her father, and elder brother. Due to the implementation of the

Perth Agreement The Perth Agreement was made in Australia in 2011 by the prime ministers of the sixteen states known as Commonwealth realms, which at the time all recognised Elizabeth II as their head of state. The document agreed that the governments of the re ...

, which replaced

male-preference primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

with

absolute primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

, she did not move down the line of succession when her younger brother, Prince Louis, was born on 23 April 2018; this makes her the first British princess to rank above a brother in the line of succession.

Notes

References

External links

Princess Charlotte
at the Royal Family website * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Charlotte, Cambridge, Princess, Of 2015 births Living people 21st-century British people 21st-century British women British princesses Children of William, Prince of Wales Daughters of British dukes English children English people of Danish descent English people of German descent English people of Greek descent English people of Russian descent English people of Scottish descent Family of Charles III House of Windsor Middleton family (British) Mountbatten-Windsor family People from London Royal children