The Truth About Princess Charlotte

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Charlotte is third in line to the British throne. The daughter of Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales made history when her brother Louis was born in 2018 — she is the first royal female who will not be surpassed in succession by a younger brother, due to the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013. As BBC reports, before the passage of this ruling, royal sons took precedence.

Of course, ascension to the throne is likely not on the mind of Princess Charlotte, who by many accounts leads a life similar to other children her age, all things considered. "William and Kate very much prioritize bringing up the children in as normal an environment as possible over anything else," a source told Us Weekly in 2018.

The young royal has been garnering attention in the wake of her great-grandmother the queen's passing. Though she's still a little girl, it seems that Charlotte already has quite the personality. Read on for the truth about Princess Charlotte of Wales. 

Just because Princess Charlotte is, well, a princess, doesn't mean she is simply prim and proper. As a source told Us Weekly in 2018 about the little girl, she's "very bubbly," and "She's definitely the biggest character of the three children at the moment." Express notes Charlotte is a very confident kiddo.

In addition to being full of energy and effervescence, it seems the young princess has a rather refined palate, and adores eating olives, according to Vogue. But, okay, she is still a little girl, and enjoys dining on "cheesy pasta" and pizza. Hello! Magazine reports Charlotte and her siblings, Princes George and Louis, even enjoy cooking these dishes with their parents.

Meanwhile, Prince William has said, "My daughter Charlotte loves dancing," just like many kids her age (via Harper's Bazaar). Adorably, the third in line to the British throne also likes doing cartwheels and putting on little gymnastics shows for her family, according to Town & Country.

When Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, the event made international news, with every detail of her first photos being dissected by outlets worldwide. Consider the fact that we know the exact brand of the baby shawl she was covered in as her famous parents held her on the steps of St. Mary's Hospital — it's G.H. Hurt & Son for those who are curious (via Town & Country).

And so, for the entirety of her life, every move Princess Charlotte makes will make headlines, setting her apart from other 7-year-olds. The mini-royal has already taken part in official engagements, such as the Trooping of the Colour (via Town & Country).

Perhaps her most high-profile role to date was as her aunt Meghan Markle's flower girl at her wedding to Prince Harry. But these are not the only nuptials the sweet little girl has been a part of, having also served as a flower girl for her aunt Pippa Middleton, and cousin Princess Eugenie (via Brides).

Princess Charlotte was named after royal family members who came before her. The princess' full name is Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, according to Cheat Sheet, paying homage to her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and grandmother Princess Diana. Charlotte is the feminine version of her grandfather King Charles' name, and is also her mom's sister Pippa Middleton's middle name. 

Of course, we already know she will follow Prince William, her father, and Prince George, her brother, in the line of succession to the throne. And while the future is unknown, Express notes she is likely to assume the title of Princess Royal one day — which is currently afforded to Princess Anne — when her father becomes king.

More immediately, Princess Charlotte will focus on her education, which as a royal child, will be pretty extensive, per Town & Country. Boarding school may also be on the horizon, though People notes that she and her brothers began attending Lambrook School in September 2022, likely as day students. For now, she is a little girl with a big future.

Little Princess Charlotte might be just 7 years old, but she's clearly mature beyond her years. In fact, it became clear during Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations that the now-third in line to the throne is well-versed in royal etiquette, telling her older brother how to behave during the celebratory affair. As noted by People, Charlotte joined the late monarch, her grandparents, her mother and father, and her two brothers on the Buckingham Palace balcony to hear a rendition of "God Save the Queen," Britain's national anthem (which is now, of course, "God Save the King). As the anthem was playing, Prince George put his hand on the balcony's railing, but only for a split second thanks to Charlotte. The young princess was seen nudging her older brother to stand at attention and put his arms at his sides — truly a middle child moment.

That wasn't the only spot of non-royal decorum that Charlotte observed in her 9-year-old brother that day. George was also spotted teasing his aunt, Zara Tindall, with a Union Jack flag. Zara jokingly poked the young royal, only for George to return the poking favor. Both Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Charlotte observed the silly exchange, and no doubt Charlotte subtly rolled her eyes in young sibling protest.

In a much more somber state of affairs, Princess Charlotte was once again seen with her family amid a royal event, but it wasn't one of celebration. Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022. The world — while not exactly shocked by the news given the queen's documented mobility problems — went into mourning nonetheless, and the monarch's family publicly grieved alongside members of the Commonwealth. Expressing her sadness at her great-grandmother's passing was Charlotte, who was seen walking behind Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at her state funeral. She was joined by her older brother, Prince George, and her parents, the newly named Prince and Princess of Wales, and was visibly upset throughout the day's events. She even wore a touching tribute to Her Majesty on the day — a horseshoe pin on her lapel, a gift from the queen and a nod to her passion for equestrian sports.

As noted by People, however, Charlotte's well-behaved persona accompanied her grief — and in perfect form once again, she corrected her brother's behavior as the queen's coffin passed her and her family members. As the queen's funeral procession passed the family — standing at Wellington Arch — Charlotte made a point to tell her George to honor the queen, saying, "You need to bow." Clearly, not even her sadness over the loss of her grandmother would make Charlotte forget her royal manners.

Much attention has been turned to the order of royal succession in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death, but where there's attention there's also confusion. Why is Prince Harry's son, Archie, ahead of the queen's son, Prince Edward, when it comes to succession? Why is Princess Anne all the way down at No. 16 in line, when she is one of the most hard working royals in the firm? We're here to break it all down, as it directly relates to Princess Charlotte's future as a ruler. When Queen Elizabeth was on the throne, then-Prince Charles was the direct heir. His two children, Prince William and Prince Harry, became the second and third in line respectively. However, Harry's place in line started to shift down when William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, started having children. Prince George took the No. 3 slot, Princess Charlotte No. 4, and Prince Louis No. 5. Now that Charles is king, the Waleses have all shifted up one. Still with us?

However, Charlotte has a real shot at becoming a ruler thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act, which was passed in 2013. To see the impact of this, we look to Princess Anne, Princess Royal. While she is daughter to Queen Elizabeth and the late monarch's second eldest child, her gender allowed all males in her family — including her two younger brothers, their children, and their children's children — to circumvent her. However, because  the succession act was passed and impacts those born after October 28, 2011, Charlotte can stay in line, like her brothers.

Given that Princess Charlotte has told her older brother how to behave at two high profile royal events in 2022 alone, it shouldn't come as any surprise to learn that she is the boss of her siblings. Prince George and Prince Louis — who has become quite the little social media star — are said to not really have a way in with Charlotte, who has been exerting her sibling dominance since she was 2 years old (and for that, we love her even more). It is an element of her personality that even Queen Elizabeth II confirmed. As noted by People, the late queen was attending an event when she asked a 10-year-old, Emily Clay, if she "looked after" her younger sister. Clay's mom responded to the queen, "It's the other way around," indicating that the younger of the two girls was in charge. "It's like that with Charlotte and George," the queen responded, noting that George — then 4 years old — was no match for his little sister.

Charlotte's authoritative streak was confirmed once again by her mom, Catherine, Princess of Wales, while she attended an engagement. As noted by GoodToKnow, Catherine started chatting with a mom in the crowd, Samantha Burge, and the two exchanged stories about their kids. When the duchess reflected on her daughter, she told Burge, "Charlotte is growing up really fast. She is the one in charge." We can't say we're surprised.

Princess Charlotte might only be 7 years old as of publication, but her life has looked incredibly different than that of an everyday second grader. She has been present on the public stage since she was born, and has been in headline after headline given the high profile nature of her parents and extended family. She is now third in line to the British throne, and while she may not rule one day — given that her father and older brother are in front of her — she will most definitely live a public life of service to the crown. And while her future will likely consist of public events, hand-shaking, charity work, and more, her parents — William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales — are determined to give her and her siblings as normal of a childhood as possible.

As noted by CNN, William and Catherine made the decision to move their family from London's Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor in the summer months of 2022. While the move put them in closer proximity to the queen — who sadly passed away in September — the changing of location has also allowed the family of five to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis have all changed schools as well, with CNN noting William and Catherine's desire to be "active parents in a busy school" setting.