What Princess Charlotte's Relationship With Her Royal Cousins Is Really Like

Princess Charlotte may blend in with all the other students at school, but that doesn't mean that she and her friends all live similar lives. While Charlotte spends her free time greeting royal fans at international events like Trooping the Colour, most of her classmates from Lambrook School go home to their comfortably anonymous lives. Because of this strange dynamic, Charlotte does not always get to connect with people who understand her lifestyle. That's where her royal cousins come in.

Like many princesses before her, Charlotte has found companionship, connection, and joy in her cousins. The princess' late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, had a similar experience growing up. Although Queen Elizabeth II did have some hidden cousins, most of her relations were known to her. Elizabeth shared birthday parties, royal events, and even duties with her cousins. Although Charlotte has a circle of friends at school — an option never made available to Elizabeth as a child — the young princess also relies on her friendships with her cousins for support. While some of Charlotte's cousins give her the space to goof around guilt-free, others provide her with company at royal events. Others yet do not hold a current place in Charlotte's life, though experts believe that it's only a matter of time before that changes.

Princess Charlotte is known for performing her royal duties without much fuss. But when she's not on the international stage, Charlotte is just a normal kid who loves running about with her friends. Luckily, the princess' cousin, Mia Tindall, understands this perfectly. As the daughter of Charlotte's great-aunt, Princess Anne, Mia knows all about the importance of royal ceremony. On the flip side, though, Mia's non-royal father, Mike Tindall, is a professional rugby player who taught her how to turn the formality off when necessary. This means that Mia knows exactly how to provide Charlotte with the dose of normalcy that she needs.

Commenting on this reality with The Sun, royal expert Ingrid Seward explained, "Charlotte is known for being super responsible for both of her brothers, telling them what to do and when to do it at royal occasions. Mia is much more adventurous." While the differences in Charlotte and Mia's personalities is marked, they appear to benefit from each other's strengths. Charlotte, in particular, has been known to get extra giggly when she's around her more relaxed cousin. As Seward put it, "In fact, when [Mia and Charlotte] get together, they can be double trouble, but everyone loves them." The girls especially love each other, though, regardless of the opinions of others. "Princess Charlotte and Mia Tindall have become best friends when the cheeky pair are together, that is," Seward joked.

While Princess Charlotte's relationship with Mia Tindall might get her into trouble sometimes, the girls' bond is understood to be an important part of royal tradition. Over the years, high-profile royals like Charlotte have relied heavily on their less famous cousins to enjoy a good laugh and a touch of normalcy. Fascinatingly, this was true for Charlotte's father, Prince William, and Mia's mother, Zara Tindall, during their own childhood. Growing up, the serious young William and the cheekier Zara got into loads of trouble together — just like Charlotte and Mia do years later.

"Prince William and Zara (nee Phillips) were also partners in crime when they were young," royal expert Ingrid Seward told The Sun. Apparently, the dynamic duo would wreak havoc on private royal family events, leaving chaos in their wake. "Nannies would dread the two of them being together as they were super naughty, noisy, and loved getting into trouble," Seward shared. These stories about William, Prince of Wales, and Zara show that Charlotte and Mia's connection is more meaningful than just an ordinary friendship. The two girls have effectively carried their parents' bond over into the next generation — a positive sign for the durability of their connection. "Zara and William are still good friends today," Seward added. "Hopefully Charlotte and Mia will continue their friendship for as long."

Mia Tindall is not the only royal cousin that Princess Charlotte adores. Mia's younger sister, Lena Tindall, also enjoys Charlotte's company. The youngest of Zara and Mike Tindall's three children, Lucas Tindall, was born in 2021, making him about six years younger than Charlotte. Because of this considerable age gap, the princess is understood to spend most of her time with Mia and Lena — especially at Christmastime. During the royal family's 2025 holiday escape to Sandringham, Charlotte was spotted chatting away with Mia and Lena. The trio of cousins were even photographed exiting the Church of St. Mary Magdalene together following the Christmas service. 

Interestingly, the girls' parents were very pleased to see them getting along so well. William, Prince of Wales, was especially happy to know that Charlotte was hitting it off with her Tindall cousins. In a 2021 conversation with Radio Marsden, William described the princess' special friendship with Zara's kids as a highlight of his holiday. "When I see my children meet up with my cousins' children, and they all have a wonderful time playing together, it's very special. I look forward to that a lot," he shared, per People. The Tindall parents are also known to approve of the girls' connection. In a 2021 appearance on Good Morning Britain, Mike shared, "Our kids are very, very close, which is great for the kids that they're always going to have some cousins."

Although it can seem that Princess Charlotte's friendship with her royal cousin, Mia Tindall, is all fun and games, there's a serious side to the girls' bond, as well. In 2024, when Charlotte's mother, Catherine, Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer following an abdominal surgery, things felt very uncertain for the Wales family. During this trying time, it is understood that Mia stepped forward to offer her cousin some extra love and support. "What happened to Charlotte's mum shocked everyone, but energetic Mia was the perfect distraction for the princess throughout those scary months of 2024," a source told Women's Day, commenting on just how important this bond was for Charlotte (via AberdeenLive).

Reportedly, the seriousness of Catherine's cancer diagnosis helped Charlotte and Mia overcome some of the differences that had previously clouded their connection. "There was some early 'my dad's the best' rivalry — but not any more," the source said. "Kate and Zara are happy to report their girls have formed a friendship for life." At the end of the day, it seems that Charlotte was able to prioritize the unique sense of adventure and excitement that Mia brings to her life over any sort of silly disagreement. "Charlotte's always been in awe of Mia and her fun-loving side," the insider added. Ultimately, it was this very fun-loving attitude that helped Charlotte stay afloat throughout her mom's highly-publicized cancer treatments.

Beyond her close connection to the Tindall girls, Princess Charlotte also bonded with her older cousin, Lady Louise Windsor. The eldest daughter of Charlotte's great-uncle, Prince Edward, Louise was born in 2003, making her about 12 years older than Charlotte. Despite this considerable age gap, the two girls found a way to bond through their shared love of the arts. When it comes to aesthetics and fashion, Lady Louise Windsor is known as a style icon who understands a lot about artistry. She loves to draw pictures, as well — a talent that she has made an effort to share with Charlotte. During a 2019 family vacation to Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, Louise taught Charlotte how to draw animals. "Louise loves drawing and sketching and was very patiently trying to get Charlotte to do pictures of rabbits and deer," a source told The Sun.

Louise and Charlotte's friendship goes further than their shared hobbies, though. The cousins' unique bond is also largely based on Louise's extra caring personality. Louise actually went as far as to babysit Charlotte and her siblings during that 2019 trip to Balmoral. The insider dished, "Louise also endeared herself to everyone by looking after William and Kate's children when they were up here." Louise's dedication to Charlotte goes to show that cousins can be mentors as well as friends.

When Princess Charlotte's royal cousin, Prince Archie, was born in 2019, it seemed that the pair would be together forever. Shortly after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcomed Archie into the world, Charlotte prepared to welcome him into the royal family. The princess met Archie for the first time at a polo match when he was still just 2 months old. At the time, many royal watchers took this early encounter as a sign that the cousins would be close. From the moment of that very first meeting, Charlotte and her older brother, Prince George, appeared completely enamored with their little cousin. The two siblings were even photographed seemingly gazing at Archie from afar.

Referencing this adorable meeting in a conversation with The Royal Box, royal journalist Emily Andrews recalled, "It was interesting, that polo match, because it was the first time that Charlotte and George had actually met Archie. They hadn't met him for two months so that was lovely." It's also worth noting that Charlotte's parents, Princess Catherine and Prince William of Wales, had a close relationship with Archie at the beginning of his life. Following his birth, William and Catherine were among the few friends who were welcome to meet the prince prior to the two-month mark. "Kate and William had been to see Archie at Frogmore Cottage, but they hadn't taken their children with them, so that was the moment at the polo match where all three of the Cambridge kids got to meet Archie," Andrews added.

Princess Charlotte's relationship with Prince Archie changed completely in 2020 when the latter's parents decided to move to the United States. Indeed, Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, famously relocated to California after making a shocking royal exit. This move caused a rift between Archie and Charlotte's respective parents, and the cousins became estranged. While the physical and literal distance between Charlotte and Archie is certainly a shame, not everybody believes that it will last forever.

According to royal expert Ingrid Seward, the cousins may reconnect later in life. "They may not have the childhood bond, which they really don't need as they have lots of little friends, but [Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louise] will really appreciate Archie later on in their lives," Seward told Express. The royal expert went on to posit that the fact that Archie is living a totally different lifestyle could end up being something of a strength. "How cool to have a Californian cousin who is going to be such a dude as Archie," Seward exclaimed. As for Archie, the expert imagined that he would eventually find it interesting to visit Charlotte and her siblings in Great Britain. She told the Express that Archie may also one day host Charlotte in Cali. "So exciting for them to go and stay with him too and vice versa," Seward gushed.

When Princess Charlotte's uncle and aunt, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, moved to the United States, she had to say goodbye to her royal cousin, Prince Archie. Sadly, the Sussex's big American relocation also meant that Charlotte never had the chance to meet Archie's little sister, Princess Lilibet, who was born in California in 2021. Even though Charlotte and Lilibet have yet to meet, the two princesses are said to share numerous similarities. Both girls are believed to enjoy playing in the great outdoors, and both are said to adore the color pink.

According to color specialist Marina Thompson, the girls' shared love of pink is genuinely special. In her expert opinion, Charlotte and Lilibet's common preference could actually point toward other potential similarities between the pair. "Princess Charlotte and Princess Lilibet both having pink as their favorite color is a symbol of peacefulness, love, and tranquility," Thompson told Hello! of this cute coincidence. Thompson went on to share what this could reveal about the girls' personalities. "Loving the color pink would demonstrate they are both playful and nurturing," Thompson revealed. Although it's hard to say how long both girls will continue rocking their penchant for pink, Princess Charlotte's glamorous style transformation has thus far included a whole lot of the shade. In time, perhaps she and Lilibet will find themselves twinning!

Princess Charlotte and Princess Lilibet share more in common than just a favorite color. The girls also share a connection to their late grandmother, Princess Diana. Royal cousins Charlotte and Lilibet both pay tribute to Diana in the same poignant way – through their names. While Charlotte's full name is Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Wales, Lilibet's full name is Princess Lilibet Diana of Sussex. By incorporating their grandmother's name into their own names, both princesses ensure that Diana will never be forgotten.

Fascinatingly, Charlotte and Lilibet both keep Diana's memory alive in other ways, as well. The two cousins seemingly inherited Diana's passion for dance. During her lifetime, the People's Princess spent her free time taking dance classes with her instructor, Anne Allan. In her memoir, "Dancing with Diana," Allan described the feelings of liberation that Diana experienced during these classes. When the princess went away on tour, she even wrote Allan to tell her how much she missed their sessions. Charlotte has been known to share this hobby with Diana by taking up ballet and teaching her cousin, Mia Tindall, her favorite steps. As for Lilibet, all signs point to the younger princess practicing ballet, as well. In 2026, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, took to Instagram to share a Valentine's Day post, which featured Lilibet dressed head-to-toe in ballet gear.

Because of Prince William and Prince Harry's feud, some fans fear that Princess Charlotte may never get the chance to spend time with her royal cousins, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Luckily, though, it may actually be possible for the three cousins to hang out sooner than expected. One of the main reasons that Archie and Lilibet have not spent much time in England pertains to their parents' concerns about security. Sources close to the Sussex crew have said that Harry is genuinely interested in bringing his kids back to the U.K. if he's offered the proper security. As one insider told The Times, "But if the security is sorted, then yes, of course that would open up the door to come back more with his family and bring the family over more."

Rumor also has it that Harry may be interested in sending Archie and Lilibet to school in England. He is believed to have a particular desire to enroll Archie in Eton College, where many upper-crust boys go to school. This means that Archie could potentially end up at the same boarding school as Prince George and Prince Louis, while Lilibet and Charlotte might one day study together at an all-girls' college. If Archie and Lilibet do go to school in England, that would certainly give them the opportunity to get to know Charlotte and the rest of their royal cousins — regardless of their parents' issues.