Why Prince William, Kate Middleton Didn’t Release Princess Charlotte’s 3rd Birthday Portrait

Prince William and Kate Middleton did not release Princess Charlotte’s 3rd birthday portrait on Wednesday, May 2.

Instead, the Kensington Palace uploaded a photo of Princess Charlotte sitting on the steps when she was 2 years old. The snap was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge herself.

Penny Junor, a royal expert, recently shared his thoughts on why Prince William and Middleton didn’t release a new portrait of the princess when they did it when Prince George turned 4 years old last year. The prince’s portrait was taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson.

“William and Kate won’t want to overexpose their children. They have never been entirely conventional so I can imagine they might release a photo in their own time, and it might be one Kate takes herself. A photo to commemorate the new baby’s birth is hardly excessive, however, and I would say, for historical purposes, it is important for there to be one,” he said.

Princess Charlotte was last seen in public on April 23 after her younger brother, Prince Louis, was born. At that time, Prince William escorted her and Prince George to St. Mary’s Hospital’s Lindo Wing to visit their newborn sibling and mom.

Before entering the facility, Princess Charlotte adorably waved to the photographers who were standing outside the hospital. Prince William encouraged Prince George to do the same thing, but he refused.

Upon entering Lindo Wing’s door, Prince William let go of his two kids’ hands. Prince George immediately wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulder. The gesture made headlines hours later, and Prince George was dubbed as a protective older brother to Princess Charlotte.

Following Prince Louis’ birth, the Huffington Post also revealed that Princess Charlotte has been bonding with him quite a lot. Princess Charlotte had more one-on-one time with her sibling because she didn’t have to return to school as soon as Prince George did.