Princess Charlotte Turns 7; Why She Isn't 'Average Spare Heir' – Report

Princess Charlotte is celebrating her seventh birthday.

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton shared via Twitter new photos of their only daughter Sunday, ahead of the young princess' birthday Monday.

The new portraits of Princess Charlotte were taken in Norfolk, England, this weekend by her mother, who celebrated 11 years of marriage to Prince William Friday.

"Seven tomorrow!" they captioned the snaps of Princess Charlotte posing in a blue sweater over a white, polka dot, collared shirt and navy pants.

One snap showed her cuddling their pet cocker spaniel, Orla, who was gifted by her mother's brother James Middleton more than a year ago following the death of the Cambridges' dog Lupo in late 2020.

Princess Charlotte will have an important role to play in the British monarchy in addition to being the "spare heir," according to E! News.

She is currently the fourth in line to the British throne, after her grandfather Prince Charles, father Prince William and older brother Prince George.

The princess did not lose her position in the royal line of succession when her younger brother Prince Louis was born in 2018 after the Succession to the Crown Act was enacted in 2013, the outlet noted.

The act, which retroactively applied to all those born after Oct. 28, 2011, made it so that the line of succession would stop skipping over girls in favor of younger brothers. It also allowed the daughter of the heir to the throne to remain in line according to her place in the birth order.

When her older brother welcomes children of his own in the future, Princess Charlotte will have to move down the line of succession as her uncle Prince Harry did when Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton expanded their family.

However, E! News noted that Princess Charlotte is "destined to be so much more than a spare heir" as she, along with the rest of the new generation of royals, has been "tasked with ensuring that the British royal family remains relevant for the foreseeable future and useful."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's only daughter has already distinguished herself as a "smart, spirited" girl with a "congenial but relatable" personality, according to the outlet.

Some have noted that Princess Charlotte seems to be a born leader and that the young princess is growing up to be a confident and strong person.

"[Kate] said that Charlotte is growing up really fast. She is the one in charge," the wife of a Royal Marine officer, who spoke to Middleton at the opening of a war memorial, told reporters in 2017.

"[Charlotte is] definitely the biggest character of the three children at the moment," one anonymous source told Us Weekly in 2018. "She'll come up to guests and ask them if they want tea or coffee or offer them sweets—so adorable!"

Queen Elizabeth II made a similar comment about Princess Charlotte when the little girl was 2 and her older brother Prince George was 4. While chatting with 10-year-old student Emily Clay, who won a bible signed by the monarch for a school religious education project, in 2018, the Queen asked the girl if she "looked after" her 6-year-old sister.

"It's the other way around," Emily's mom, Ellen, told the Queen, to which the monarch replied, "It's like that with Charlotte and George."

Meanwhile, royal fans sent sweet messages to the little princess on her birthday.

"I want to wish Princess Charlotte a very happy and healthy birthday!! I hope she will have a super fun day and a wonderful new year," one person tweeted.

"Happiest birthday to lovely Princess Charlotte! Wishing her all the best and the nicest presents! Have a wonderful birthday, beautiful!" another wrote.

"Happy 7th birthday, Princess Charlotte. You're such a beautiful girl. I hope you have a great day filled with fun. Thank you, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for sharing these beautiful photos. Catherine, you're a wonderful photographer," a third royal fan wrote.