Proud parents Princess Catherine and Prince William released a new photo of the young princess to celebrate her ninth birthday on May 2nd, and King Charles is amongst the members of the royal family who have sent her a special message to mark the occasion. The doting grandpa is said to have a sweet wish for his beloved eldest granddaughter, Charlotte. The image was taken by Catherine in Windsor this past weekend, keeping with the tradition of the Princess of Wales, who has described herself as an enthusiastic amateur photographer, getting behind the camera for her three children’s milestone moments.

The official Instagram account of the royal family, which shares news and updates on the work of the king and queen consort, shared a newly released photo of Charlotte by reposting a photograph taken by the Princess of Wales, adding a sticker that says “Happy Birthday.”

As the third in line of succession, the young royal has seen her public profile increase over the past year, as her grandfather has become King Charles. Once revealed a sweet wish that he had for Princess Charlotte’s future and one very personal role. Although her elder brother, Prince George, is set to become king, the future is also looking bright for Charlotte.

During an engagement just 5 days after Charlotte’s birth in 2015, it was reported that the now monarch spoke of his then-newborn granddaughter: “She’s beautiful. I was hoping for a granddaughter, someone to look after me when I’m very old.” The king’s sweet words show his excitement at welcoming a granddaughter and show how supportive he would be as she grew up.

Last month, a new book claimed that Charlotte is set to be granted one of the grandest royal titles after it was reserved for her by King Charles. With George’s future already mapped out as a king, the monarch believes that Charlotte is in line to become the future Duchess of Edinburgh when she enters adulthood. Although the king has made his brother Edward the new Duke of Edinburgh, the title is only for life. After Edward dies, Charles has made it clear that Charlotte should become the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Getting an insight into King Charles’s relationship with his eldest granddaughter, Charlotte, is rare, and royal fans are quick to spot any interactions at public events, often sharing them on social media, where they generate high numbers of views. One of the latest clips to go viral contains resurfaced footage of a royal Christmas concert in 2022 hosted by the Princess of Wales. The “Together at Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey took place on December 15th and included nearly all of the senior members of the royal family among its guest list. Before the service took place, Catherine, Prince William, Prince George, and Charlotte were seen greeting King Charles and Queen Camilla as they arrived as the guests of honor. As seen in the clip, Charles greeted his family members with a kiss to the cheek, including his granddaughter, captioned “King Charles loves his granddaughter Charlotte so much.”

It’s true that 2024 has gotten off to a rough start for the royals. After weeks of speculation and suspicion about Catherine’s health, including King Charles, news of her cancer finally broke. It was difficult for the couple to cope because of the timing of Catherine’s terrible illness. And despite the fact that there have been many pleas for secrecy, there was really no way out for the Wales family if this happened that is related to worldwide demand to know about their situation. I think it’s important now to underline the fact that Catherine and her medical team expect her to make a full recovery, and she has an optimistic outlook and is feeling positive about her treatment. The heartbreaking decision that William and Catherine made was intended to educate and prepare their children for the unforeseen changes that occurred in their family relationship. It is deeply saddening to entertain the idea that the royal couple was forced to take time away from their children to inform them of their mother’s illness. However, according to sources, the children did not take the situation personally and wish for the opportunity to be there to express their love for their mother.