Her mother loved dressing her in lovely little floral outfits, but those days are long gone.

Princess Charlotte is seen in a gorgeous new 10th birthday photo hiking in Cumbria earlier this year, looking windswept and wearing camouflage.

It demonstrates how much the young princess, who is already in her double digits, is maturing. The Princess of Wales took the photo with her iPhone while on a family vacation.

Charlotte is wearing trousers, a knapsack that is snugly fastened on her back, and a £37 Jack Pyke children’s “Evolution Camo” jacket.

Instead of the more formal pigtails we frequently see her wearing, her hair, which is quite similar to Kate’s, is pulled back in a loose ponytail and oddly disheveled by the wind.

She is giggling, grinning widely at her mother, and seems incredibly content and carefree.

Charlotte was mostly at home in earlier birthday photos, dressed more formally in skirts and jumpers.

Over the years, and especially in the past several months, Kate has talked extensively on the value of spending time outside with her family.

She has discussed how the natural world has provided her with a great deal of comfort during her cancer battle and how it has contributed to her healing process.

Walking, cycling, and sailing are her children’s favorite activities, and they have inherited these hobbies.

Following in the footsteps of her great-aunt Princess Anne, Charlotte is third in line to the throne and is expected to become Princess Royal in the future. Many believe she would be a logical choice for the position.

Charlotte, born in 2015, is the first British princess to hold a position above a younger sibling due to changes made in 2013 to the rules governing the line of succession, which no longer prioritize male heirs above female successors.

She was born on May 2, 2015, at 8:34 a.m. in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing a very healthy 8 lb 3 oz. Her full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

Although the princess and her siblings attend the coeducational private Lambrook School in Berkshire, which is close to Ascot, her parents are reportedly keeping an eye on Catherine’s former residential school, Marlborough, for her future.

Her graceful public demeanor has already won her admirers, and she is frequently spotted watching over her brothers, especially young Louis, at formal family gatherings.

All three are expected to attend the VE Day 80 festivities on Monday.

The picture from today is a return to the children’s photographs taken by Kate, an enthusiastic amateur photographer who frequently captures her kids on formal occasions.

Josh Shinner, one of the family’s favorite photographers, took pictures for Prince Louis’ birthday in Norfolk last week, which Kate and William shared.

Last year for Charlotte’s birthday, the Waleses shared a photo of their baby, which was again taken by Kate, showing off her golden hair and mischievous smile.

The pair had shared two pictures of a happy Charlotte on her ninth birthday the year before. In one, she marked the occasion with a gap-toothed smile for her mother.

In another, she was seen cuddling with Orla, the family’s cherished black cocker spaniel, while wearing a Boden pullover with stripes of blue and white.

In July 2015, the young princess was christened Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, after the Queen and their grandmother, and has a special connection to the children’s “Gan-Gan” because she shares a name with the late monarch.

As she marks her tenth birthday today, royal specialists have also given the world a glimpse inside the lives of the Royal Family’s “secret weapon.”

According to insiders, Charlotte, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ second child, is the “boss of the family” and doesn’t hesitate to voice her opinions.

The young princess, who has a lively yet sassy demeanor, has frequently been spotted putting her brothers in line, laughing at her parents’ public shows of devotion, and dressing smartly in matching costumes with her most glamorous relatives.

Royal historian Marlene Koenig told US Weekly “Charlotte rules the roost at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, adding [Kate] describes Charlotte as independent and the one in charge.”

It comes after her father, William, disclosed last year how the outspoken child forced him to chop off his beard when she didn’t agree with him.

The prince claims that when his daughter first saw his new appearance, she broke down in “floods of tears.”

Additionally, during Trooping the Colour in June 2024, Charlotte seemed to assist her mother, the Princess of Wales, in disciplining her younger brother.

Seven-year-old Louis was observed yawning, messing with curtains, and scrunching his face during the lengthy, formal affair, as if bored.

However, when the bagpipes began to play during the Horse Guard Parade, the child became animated and began to shake his hips in sync with the music from the Major General’s Office balcony.

According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, the Princess, now 10, scolded her dancing brother, and said, “You have to stop doing that. Watch the parade”, to which he bluntly replied, “I won’t.”

Charlotte and her siblings, Prince George, 11, and Louis, 7, are exactly like any other child, despite the opulence and formalities.

 

The three of them are as “normal” as their privileged situation permits, whether that means blowing raspberries, eating pizza, or becoming agitated over the football.

Speaking to a woman during a March St. Patrick’s Day parade, Kate made a rare remark about her daughter earlier this year.

After missing the 2024 parade while receiving cancer treatment, Kate returned to the occasion in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards with her visit to the Wellington Barracks.

Major General Sir Chris Ghika and Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark, along with their partners, welcomed the royal when she arrived.

During the event, Carice, Ben’s wife, spoke with the mother-of-three and disclosed that her daughter and Charlotte frequently compete against each other in school games.

She told the Princess: “We so often see you at matches because our girls are always playing each other, they are Farleigh and Lambrook, so I think there’s stiff competition.”

Kate replied, “Of course, are they in the same year?” and Carice replied, “Yes, Year Five.”

The future Queen then said, “I was just saying, they’re doing so much, sporting events.”

“Now it’s getting a bit warmer it’s a bit nicer for a spectator,” Carice said, which made Kate laugh.

William has also previously told of his daughter’s passion for football, telling the Lionesses, “Charlotte wants me to tell you she’s really good in goal… a budding star for the future!”

The Waleses have also discussed Charlotte’s love of dancing; during a 2023 outing, Kate disclosed that she enjoys “ballet and tap.”