Inside Princess Charlotte's Sweet Relationship With Her Brothers

Keeping tabs on the grown-up royal drama is nothing short of intriguing, but there's no arguing that the royal children often provide some much-needed comic relief. When Prince William and Princess Catherine welcomed Prince George into the world in 2013, royal fans couldn't get enough of the little prince. Now, he shares the spotlight with his two siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Charlotte was born in 2015, and Louis followed in 2018. While Prince Louis is known for his shenanigans and hilarious facial expressions, Prince George often appears reserved and shy. Charlotte, however, has been spotted acting like the older sibling on a few occasions when she kept her brothers in line. "Like Diana, she gives the initial impression of shyness but beneath that appears to be an outgoing, fun personality," body language expert Judi James told Express (via Cosmopolitan).

Charlotte might be the middle child and the only girl among her siblings, but she often appears to be the leader of the group. According to Psych Central, it's quite common for the middle child to be independent and self-reliant. Charlotte appears to embody some of these traits, and some have noted that she appears to be the most confident sibling. Middle children also tend to develop a close-knit relationship with their siblings, and Charlotte definitely has a very special bond with her two brothers, as some sweet photographs can attest.

Princess Charlotte is a younger sibling to Prince George and an older sibling to Prince Louis, and while this role is probably tricky to navigate at times, her sisterly instincts toward both of her brothers, especially Louis, are pretty on point.

Charlotte has been protective of Louis since her parents first brought him home from the hospital. For Charlotte's third birthday, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared an image on Instagram of Charlotte kissing her baby brother's forehead — cue hearts melting around the world. An insider told Us Weekly that Charlotte was very protective of her new baby brother — a trait she picked up from her older brother, George. "A similar connection is growing between Charlotte and Louis," the insider claimed.

Charlotte's protective side was on full display when paparazzi were taking photos of her family leaving the church after Louis' christening ceremony. As cameras snapped, 3-year-old Charlotte turned to the photographers and told them, "You're not coming," while giving them some serious side-eye (via X, formerly Twitter). Five years later at King Charles III's coronation ceremony, it was clear that Charlotte was still as protective of her little brother as ever — she entered the Abbey holding onto Louis' hand tightly as they followed behind their parents. Later that year at her mother's annual Christmas carol service, Charlotte kept a close eye on her brother and didn't even flinch when he blew out her candle without her consent.

They might be royal children, but Princess Charlotte and her brothers engage in all the usual shenanigans kids do — and their father finds it pretty endearing. While Prince William spoke to Apple Fitness+ for its "Time to Walk" series, he opened up a bit about his kids and what their morning routine looks like, and it turns out it's not that different from other kids. 

The prince wasn't shy to admit that his house is a hive of activity in the mornings, with Princess Charlotte and Prince George usually having a fight over the music they want to play. One thing George and Charlotte can agree on, however, is that Shakira's song "Waka Waka" is a total bop. "There's a lot of hip movements going along. There's a lot of dressing up," William shared (via People).

While Prince Louis is apparently not making much of a fuss about the music choice, it's probably because he's too busy keeping an eye on Charlotte and assessing her every move. "Charlotte, particularly, is running around the kitchen in her dresses and ballet stuff and everything," William said. "She goes completely crazy with Louis following her around trying to do the same thing." According to the BabyCentre, it's quite common for younger siblings to imitate their older siblings and this is often a sign that they admire that sibling. Clearly, Louis adores his older sister and looks up to her.

Princess Charlotte may not be the oldest child, but she's got all those tricky royal protocols down to a T. She's often seen reminding her brothers what they are supposed to be doing during royal events and keeps them in check when their behavior gets a little too erratic. "Louis is a cheeky monkey — a typical third child," a source close to Princess Catherine and Prince William told People. When he gets too cheeky, however, Charlotte reminds him to behave. While she and her brothers were volunteering during The Big Help Out, one of the volunteers, Anne Edwards, spotted Charlotte keeping a close eye on her younger brother. "She was advising him! 'Don't do that, Louis!' — things like that," Edwards said. In another adorable brother-sister moment during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Charlotte could be seen gently telling Louis to end his enthusiastic waving from the carriage as they drove through the streets (via X).

Charlotte has extended the same courtesy to her older brother, Prince George, on a few occasions. While they were making an appearance on the palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Charlotte nudged her brother to bring his attention to his posture, and he quickly straightened up. During the queen's funeral proceedings, Charlotte could be seen whispering to George, "You need to bow," (via the Mirror) as the queen's coffin passed them. Moments later, the prince could be seen lowering his head in respect.

It's customary for members of the royal family to send out a holiday card featuring a picture of their family every year, and the 2023 holiday season saw a stunning black and white shot of Prince William and Princess Catherine with their three children doing the rounds. They were all dressed in white shirts with Catherine and Princess Charlotte wearing jeans and William and the boys wearing slacks. They all looked effortlessly chic and casual. The family of five was sporting happy grins in the shot, and the fact that their smiles all reached their eyes might've had something to do with the shenanigans Princess Charlotte and her brothers got up to during the shoot.

The photographer, Josh Shinner, took to Instagram to share his experience photographing the royals, and he had nothing but good things to say, revealing that Princess Charlotte and her brothers were a real treat and had him in stitches a couple of times. "Without doubt one of the most relaxed and enjoyable sittings I've ever had, and I now have a whole new set of jokes that are right on my level thanks to the children," he captioned the post. When someone asked about the funniest joke the young royals told him, Shinner responded, "Keeping those to myself I'm afraid!" Hopefully, as she gets older, we'll get to hear some of Charlotte's jokes for ourselves.

The thing that makes Princess Charlotte's relationship with her brothers extra special is their shared experience of what it's like to grow up within the royal family. No other children their age quite know what that's like, and it can probably get pretty lonely sometimes. Luckily, Charlotte and Prince George got each other's backs. "They are close in age, and they spend so much time together," a royal insider told People. "Playdates [with outsiders] can be tricky, so they learn to lean on each other."

Like most siblings, they can have their differences — they have very different personalities, after all, with sources saying that Charlotte is "more outgoing" while George is "more reserved," but they still enjoy having each other around, especially at school. Given that they have the shared experience of growing up in the spotlight as members of one of the most famous families in the world, it makes sense that the two siblings want to stick together by attending the same school. 

According to the insider who spoke to People, Charlotte could barely wait to join George at his "big school." When the day finally arrived for Charlotte, the young royal was notably nervous and shy, while George was the picture of confidence. Luckily for Charlotte, she had him to show her the lay of the land on her first day.

Royal experts say that Princess Charlotte and Prince George are incredibly close, and some of the interactions between the two siblings in public has appeared to confirm that. "Charlotte is just like [George]. They have a great bond. ... A lot of Charlotte's toys are hand-me-downs from George. Although she's definitely a girly girl, she also loves to play outside, just like George. She's got one of his old scooters and also [a] motorized Jeep she loves to drive around the patio in," an insider told Us Weekly, adding that George is a protective big brother.

Vanity Fair's royal editor, Katie Nicholl, told True Royalty TV's "The Royal Beat" (via Express) that the close bond between George and Charlotte might be a big factor when Prince William and Princess Catherine decide whether or not to send George to Eton, an all-boys boarding school. "If he goes to Eton, obviously she will have to go somewhere else," Nicholl pointed out, adding that, since the siblings have started their education, their mother has done her best to keep them in a co-ed school because that's the education experience she had as a kid. "It will be a massive decision, and it will be a big thing if he goes to Eton," Nicholl said. It appears that George will be attending Eton after all, and word is that Catherine is pretty upset about it, and perhaps, so is Charlotte.

Princess Charlotte might be the middle child, but she's the one who calls the shots. These are not just rumors — they were confirmed by Charlotte's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, while she was signing a Bible for the winner of a school's religious educational project. She made some small talk, and in the process revealed that Charlotte is often the one taking care of Prince George, despite being his junior.

An insider told UsWeekly that Charlotte is quite the little leader, and you'll often find her chasing George around the palace gardens, not the other way around. "They're both very active children. They still like a bit of rough and tumble. She's not afraid of a grazed knee and it's most certainly not going to stop her from running around the corridors," the source said.

Even though Charlotte likes to call the shots, body language expert Judi James says that she doesn't notice any kind of power struggle between Charlotte and her two brothers. In fact, it appears that Geroge is actually happy to let her take the lead, something he likely learned from his dad. "When they appear together it is often Charlotte taking the initiative in terms of walking ahead, walking alone, and instigating gestures like waving or picking out the cameras," James told Express. "[George is] never seen either moving to protect, copy or correct her, which adds to the suggestion that he sees her as an equal."

When Prince George becomes king one day, he'll need his siblings' support, and if royal biographer Christopher Andersen is to be believed, Princess Catherine and Prince William are trying to raise their kids in a way that will ensure that George's siblings support him when the time comes. Apparently, they are focused on ensuring Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis don't feel like they are living in their brother's shadow. "George has all this pressure," Andersen told Us Weekly. "He has these two siblings who can help him — who can ease some of the pressure and share some of the burden." Andersen added that, unlike Prince Harry and Prince William, Princess Charlotte and her brothers are growing up in a happy home, which is doing wonders for the siblings' relationship. "[Their relationship] is much healthier than it normally would be in the royal family," Andersen said.

Speaking to True Royalty TV's "The Royal Beat," royal editor at Vanity Fair, Katie Nicholl, said there are already signs that Charlotte is very supportive of her brother when it comes to royal duties. "You rarely see George on official engagements without the support of his little sister. They are clearly very tight, and Charlotte is the ultimate support act in a way that Princess Anne has always been for Charles," Nicholl said. Hopefully, Charlotte's relationship with her brothers will continue to flourish years from now when George inherits the throne.