Princess Charlotte’s tenth birthday is on May 2nd. I expect that we’ll get at least one new photo, probably not taken by the Princess of Wales. In some ways, Charlotte is the classic middle child, constantly overshadowed by her two brothers – George, the heir’s heir, and Louis, “the clown” of the family and the baby of the family. There are so many times where I’ve wondered why Charlotte’s parents don’t include her at fun, kid-friendly events. She’s only been allowed to go to Wimbledon in recent years, and she appears to be the biggest tennis fan of the family, crossing her fingers and loudly cheering for Carlos Alcaraz in the past two years. Anyway, Us Weekly put Charlotte (and Kate) on their cover this week. The cover story is full of bizarre quotes about Charlotte’s princess life. You know, where she’s living in Adelaide Cottage with zero live-in staff. Some highlights:
Charlotte loves Wimbledon: “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.”
Her parents are proud of her: 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.”
A good student: 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.”
Charlotte runs the house: 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.”
Charlotte is the Spare: 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.”
Charlotte has chores: 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.”
A working royal in eight years: 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.”
The last excerpt cracked me up – so long “secret weapons” Sophie, Beatrice, Eugenie, Anne and Louise. Charlotte must be the secret weapon now, at 10 years old. That’s a crazy amount of pressure to put on a young girl too, especially given the well-documented heir/spare dynamics. William and Kate have spoken and briefed about the idea that Charlotte and Louis might not end up becoming “working royals” too – like, they’re going to put all of that pressure on George to carry the monarchy, and Charlotte and Louis can do whatever they want. Now, do I think that’s the way it will actually happen? Please. Of course not. Anyway… yeah, when I read these kinds of pieces about the Wales kids, I’m just so happy that Harry and Meghan got the hell out of there.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Kensington Palace. Cover courtesy of Us Weekly.
