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 Prince Louis was born in 2018, as 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. 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 the queen's death. 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." By all accounts, Charlotte seems to be a very confident kiddo.

It also seems that she had an adventurous palate when she was still a toddler. In 2019, when Charlotte was not yet 4 years old, Princess Catherine revealed at a school event that her daughter was a fan of cheesy pasta, pizza, and a particularly bitter fruit. Per the Daily Mail, Catherine said, "Charlotte loves olives." At another event that same year, Catherine also shared that her middle child enjoys food with a little kick. "It's so hard cooking curry with the family though," the Princess of Wales said, as reported by People. "The children have a portion with no spice, [William's] is medium. And I quite like it hot. ... Charlotte is pretty good with heat."

What's more, it sounds like Charlotte is pretty good at dancing, too. She began taking ballet class when she was 3 years old and it seems she's stuck with it ever since. According to Hello! magazine, at a royal engagement in 2023, Catherine dished, "My daughter Charlotte likes dancing, she loves ballet and tap."

When Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, outlets far and wide covered the happy occasion, leaving no detail unturned. Even 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 — got coverage. 

Of course, this would not be the last time Princess Charlotte was in the spotlight. The young royal, who is part of one of the most famous families on the planet, has taken part in a number of official events, such as Trooping the Colour. She's also no stranger to royal weddings. 

When she was 3 years old, Charlotte was one of the bridesmaids in Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry. She also served as a bridesmaid at Pippa Middleton and Princess Eugenie's respective weddings. 

Princess Charlotte was named after royal family members who came before her. The princess' full name is Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, 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 older brother, in the line of succession to the throne. And while the future is unknown, Charlotte 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 continue to focus on her education, which as a royal child, is pretty extensive. As of this writing, she is still at the Lambrook School, which she and her brothers began attending in 2022. When it's time to head to secondary school, it seems likely Charlotte will attend Marlborough College, a boarding school her mother attended before she transferred to St Andrews.

Princess Charlotte has long seemed 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.

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 noted by People, 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 older 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 gesture. 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 went into mourning, 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. According to People, 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.

According to the outlet, at one point during the ceremony, Charlotte corrected her brother's behavior as the queen's coffin went by her and her family members. As the queen's funeral procession passed the family — standing at Wellington Arch — Charlotte apparently made a point to tell 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 youngest son, Prince Edward, when it comes to succession? Why is Princess Anne all the way down at No. 18 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? 

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 male members of 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. And evidently, it's been that way for a long time. 

In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II hinted at her granddaughter being a natural leader. As noted by People, the late queen was attending an event when she asked a 10-year-old girl named 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 shared, noting that George — then 4 years old — was no match for his 2-year-old sister.

Charlotte's authoritative streak was confirmed once again by her mom, Catherine, Princess of Wales, while she attended an engagement in 2017. As reported by People, Catherine started chatting with a mom in the crowd named 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." 

Princess Charlotte 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 a relatively quiet life. As a source told CNN in 2022, "They want to be as normal a family as possible."

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. The source also told CNN that William and Catherine hoped to be "active parents in a busy school" when the kids all began attending Lambrook School that year.

In October 2025, William and Catherine relocated their brood once again. They now call Forest Lodge, a larger property in Windsor Great Park, their home.

It's hardly a secret that British royals live super lavish lives, but you may not realize that Princess Charlotte already contributes to the local economy. Even when she was just a tot, Charlotte provided style inspiration to parents who hoped to see their own children wearing some of her most adorable outfits. Fittingly called the "Charlotte effect," this economic boost is expected to help countless vendors over the course of the princess' lifetime. As royal expert Sharon Carpenter told Us Weekly, "Her influence, known as the 'Charlotte Effect,' helps drive sales. It's estimated that Charlotte will be worth between a whopping 3 and 4 billion pounds to the U.K. economy over her lifetime — way more than even her brother George, who will one day be king."

The reason for Charlotte's perceived success is partially attributed to her personality. The young princess has done a wonderful job of behaving well during complicated public appearances. In the same Us Weekly report, royal commentator Amanda Matta noted that Charlotte exudes a sense of responsibility and maturity that will likely help her as she becomes a more prominent royal figure. "Charlotte seems to embrace her royal role with a surprising amount of confidence for someone her age," Matta noted. The princess apparently shone the brightest at Wimbledon, where she greeted the athletes warmly. "Charlotte confidently shook hands with players and talked to adults like it was no big deal," Matta added.

Just because Princess Charlotte has a perceived talent for public appearances does not mean that she is destined to become a working royal. Reports indicate that Prince William and Princess Catherine have no interest in forcing their youngest kids to be a part of the firm. The future of spare royals within the British monarchy has long been up for debate, with some insiders even alleging that Charlotte and Prince Louis will likely leave the palace. "The working assumption is that the younger two children will get on and do their own thing. They will be encouraged to not become working royals," a royal insider revealed in an interview with The Daily Beast.

This comment came after a piece in the Daily Mail reported that the Prince of Wales may not want Charlotte to one day work for the crown. A friend of William's even told the outlet, "When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won't be inviting anyone else to become working royals. It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals." Much of William's hesitation surrounding Charlotte's future is rumored to stem from his frustration with the way that Prince Harry has stepped away from royal life. Rumor has it that William would rather Charlotte pave her own way and find a unique career than follow in Harry's footsteps.

Princess Charlotte has benefited from Princess Catherine's unique parenting style. This has entailed following a lot of interesting rules, such as avoiding the word "kid" when possible. Other strict measures in Prince William and Catherine's home? Absolutely no cellphones allowed — at least not for Charlotte and her brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis. Opening up about this decision with Brazilian television host Luciano Huck (via Hello!), William admitted his discomfort with the negative impact technology has had on young people. "With full access, children end up seeing things on the internet that they shouldn't. But with restricted access, I think it's good for messaging," shared the Prince of Wales.

Despite whatever benefits that messaging might offer to a family, William went on to reveal that George, Charlotte, and Louis are phone-free. "It is really hard. Our children don't have phones," shared the prince. When might that change? Only once the royal children reach an appropriate age. "When George moves onto secondary school, maybe he'll have one with limited access. We talk to him and explain why we don't think it's right," William divulged. As for Charlotte, her parents have encouraged her to engage in other, less digital pastimes. Her school requires all students to play soccer, and as William dished to the British women's national team (via Hello!), "Charlotte wants me to tell you she's really good in goal...a budding star for the future!"

Princess Charlotte may have played her share of soccer at school, but that doesn't mean that she is limited to just that sport. The princess has enjoyed all kinds of athletic pursuits over the years, with ballet and netball reaching the top of her list. Charlotte has also been known to jump her sillies out on occasion by joining her little brother, Prince Louis, on the family's trampoline. As Prince William told Eugene Levy on "The Reluctant Traveler" (via Woman&Home), "Louis loves the trampoline, he's obsessed by trampolining, and Charlotte actually does it a lot as well. And as far as I can tell, they just end up jumping up and down on the trampoline and beating each other up most of the time."

While William's comments were certainly lighthearted, they seem to point to the possibility that Charlotte has inherited her sense of athleticism from her mother, Princess Catherine. During her youth, Catherine was known as a skilled field hockey player. During her time in prep school, the Princess of Wales played so skillfully that she became the captain of the women's team. During a 2012 visit to her alma mater, St. Andrews School, Catherine told the press, "Sport has been a huge part of my life, and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had to get outside and play in such wonderful open spaces," according to CBS News.

In 2024, Prince William debuted a new beard, and Princess Charlotte was not a fan. And, according to William, his opinionated daughter was not afraid to express her distaste for her father's style choice. "Well, Charlotte didn't like it the first time. I got floods of tears, the first one I got tears, so I had to shave it off," the Prince of Wales told reporters at the 2024 Earthshot Prize Awards in South Africa, according to People. Eager not to let Charlotte get the best of him, William grew out a second beard. This time, however, he talked through his decision to see if Charlotte would change her stance. Reflecting on this strategy in the same interview, the prince recalled, "Then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second, and I convinced her it was going to be okay."

Fascinatingly, Charlotte's stance would not be considered unusual in royal circles. Writing in his book, "Spare," Prince Harry revealed that beards are considered to go against royal protocol. And, apparently, William had been ordered to shave his facial hair in the past. "After he's come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along, and shave it," Harry claimed, per InStyle. Charlotte may not be the eldest of William's children, but she sure seems to have a keen eye for royal rules.