Britain's Prince William and wife Kate shared a new portrait of their daughter Princess Charlotte in celebration of her ninth birthday. The photograph, captured recently by the Princess of Wales, showcases the couple's second child beaming in the lush garden of their Windsor home, located in the west of London.
"Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!" conveyed the message that accompanied the image on the royal couple's official X account. "Thank you for all of the kind messages today."
Kensington Palace, the esteemed residence of William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, frequently unveils photographs — often lensed by Kate, who finds joy in photography as a pastime — to commemorate birthdays and other significant occasions.
Approximately a week ago, the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a snapshot of their youngest child, Prince Louis, to celebrate his 6th birthday.
Nonetheless, this tradition faced intense scrutiny in March when an image released by the palace in honor of Mother's Day in the U.K. was removed from the servers of several major news agencies due to alterations. Subsequently, other photos attributed to Kate were later discovered to have been edited.
Kate later confessed to altering the image and expressed regret for any confusion it may have caused, but by that point, the modified photo had already sparked speculation about her well-being running rampant. This occurred just before Kate disclosed that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after the detection of cancer in her body.
The cancer was discovered by medical professionals conducting tests following a significant abdominal surgery Kate had in January. The royal family has not disclosed the specific location of the cancer in Kate's body or provided updates on her treatment.
William, next in line to the British throne after his father, King Charles III, resumed his official duties in April after taking time off to support Kate during her treatment. Kensington Palace stated that the Princess of Wales will only return to public engagements upon receiving medical clearance.
Charles is also receiving treatment for an unspecified type of cancer, but he reappeared in public duties on Tuesday for the first time since his diagnosis was disclosed in February. He visited a cancer treatment facility in London associated with a charity of which he is the royal patron.
