Kate Middleton and Prince William are set to break tradition again with Princess Charlotte’s birthday, just a week after they did the same for Prince Louis. The Prince and Princess of Wales have another reason to celebrate this week as their daughter turns nine today (May 2).

Royal fans eagerly anticipate the annual birthday photo that the family traditionally releases on each child’s special day. However, the Walses deviated from this custom last week when Prince Louis turned six.

Typically, the couple would release images of their children’s birthdays under embargo the day before, following a long-standing pattern. But when Louis celebrated his sixth birthday last week, a fresh picture of the young prince was shared directly on social media on his actual birthday.

So far, no new image of Princess Charlotte has been released, indicating that the Duke and Duchess don’t plan to return to their usual tradition. It’s possible that, like with Louis, a new photo of Charlotte will be posted on social media on her actual birthday later today.

The change in procedure is understood to be due to the unique circumstances the family is currently facing. William and Kate are reportedly conscious of their request for privacy following the princess’s cancer diagnosis, reports the Mirror.

Princess Charlotte with mum Kate (Image: WireImage)

Despite this, they did post a picture of Louis last week as a gesture of gratitude to those who had sent birthday wishes.

Like her siblings, Princess Charlotte is largely growing up away from the public eye. Her last official outing was on Christmas Day when the Royal Family made their traditional festive appearance at Sandringham Estate for a church walk.

She was seen accepting gifts alongside Zara and Mike Tindall’s eldest daughter.

In December, she joined her brothers George and Louis at the annual Westminster Abbey carol concert organised by their mother, Kate. A few weeks prior to this event, the trio were taken volunteering by their mother at the Baby Bank in Holyport near Maidenhead, where they helped sort through donated goods.

The past few months have been eventful for the family. William and Kate took time to sensitively share Kate’s cancer diagnosis with their children, including ten year old Prince George, allowing them time to process the information.

Charlotte attends Lambrook School in Berkshire with her brothers. It’s likely that a family birthday celebration will be held after her school day ends.

The princess, who is William and Kate’s middle child and third-in-line to the throne, was born on May 2, 2015, at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 3oz. She was christened Charlotte Elizabeth Diana at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, in front of family and friends.

At the age of three, she made history when her younger brother Louis was born, as she wasn’t overtaken by him in the line of succession due to a change in the rules of primogeniture. Previously, males took precedence over females and Louis’ birth in 2018 was the first to be affected by the new changes.