Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton released a new picture of their daughter Princess Charlotte to celebrate her 9th birthday.
This follows a tradition they started by sharing birthday portraits of their children.
The photo, taken by Kate at Windsor Castle, shows a happy Charlotte. This year has been difficult for the royals as Kate battles cancer and hasn’t been seen in public since Christmas. However, there have been bright spots too, like Prince William sharing Charlotte’s favorite joke at a school visit.
The way the photo was released also reflects a change in Kensington Palace. In the past, they’d share photos with the media beforehand. But after controversy over an edited photo of Kate, they’re now posting directly to social media on the birthday itself.
Charlotte is currently third in line to the throne, after her father and brother. She’s also the first princess who couldn’t be outranked by a younger brother due to a 2013 law ensuring all royal children born after 2011 inherit the throne based on age, not gender.