A Princess Grows Up: Celebrating Charlotte's 9th Year

The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a photograph of Princess Charlotte, beaming and celebrating her ninth birthday.

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Charlotte, born on May 2, 2015, made her public debut at St. Mary's Hospital in London just hours after her birth.

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[{"selector":"#anim-6cd8e5f4-337b-4920-93d4-9022244d4276","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6374b8cd-2489-4cd1-8857-033a1c957e7f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 182.24122%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Her full name, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, honors both her late grandmother Princess Diana and her late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. Image credit : x.com

[{"selector":"#anim-37fd3c34-8e24-4abd-b4be-274dfc1ac353","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-487510ef-4a8c-4813-a391-8a4d892bde6e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 165.14718%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] She is the only daughter of William and Kate, who also have two sons, Princes George, 10, and Louis, who turned 6 last week. Image credit : x.com

[{"selector":"#anim-dcb0b981-7630-41c7-bdf0-1b28ce54a230","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7c136e35-3d9e-4dd9-aaae-4af766cbb7a3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 158.30956%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Kate expressed excitement among family members, including the late queen, about Charlotte's arrival in an interview following her birth. Image credit : x.com

[{"selector":"#anim-250608ff-f9b1-4f04-a84a-3aaa7b734e43","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98daaf47-8c22-4276-8a6e-7d48a018cdfc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 165.28853%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Following her father and elder brother Prince George, Charlotte is third in line for the crown. Even though she is one of the family's younger members, her mother declared in 2017 that she is "the one in charge." Image credit : x.com

[{"selector":"#anim-953ef0f8-6c19-43a7-9ad0-4666918cccf0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7db8b4fc-f96b-452c-92d3-d31a750c78a6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 146.57776%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In December, Charlotte made her most recent public appearance, joining her family on a traditional walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church for Christmas Day service. Image credit : x.com

[{"selector":"#anim-bd8a590c-6f3f-4c96-a62f-585f33e4f7ca","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f99495f3-cf7d-4c0f-9874-f640da5be5bf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 275.72648%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Since then, the family has generally stayed out of the spotlight. Image credit : x.com

[{"selector":"#anim-1f06c83b-b76b-4488-b720-6bca2dbc6e64","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6f87f760-e754-42e5-b0a2-8d61981f9c78","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.17774%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Because of Kate's health, William and Kate have both taken time off from their public obligations this year. After undergoing stomach surgery in January, Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis in March. Image credit : x.com