Princess Charlotte Turns 11 as New Photos Show Her Playing Cricket in Cornwall

Key facts

• Princess Charlotte was born on 2 May 2015 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington at 08:43.
• She is third in line to the throne, after her grandfather King Charles and father Prince William.
• The new portrait was taken by photographer Matt Porteous during the Wales family's Easter holiday in Cornwall.
• A separate video shows Charlotte bowling a cricket ball, patting the dogs Orla and Otto, and writing in the sand with shells.
• Charlotte has two brothers: Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, 8.
• The Wales family also released a portrait for William and Catherine's 15th wedding anniversary, taken by Porteous in Cornwall.
• Otto, the family's second dog, celebrated his first birthday on 1 May, a day before Charlotte's.
• Charlotte was last seen in public at the Royal Family's Easter Sunday church service in Windsor.

A Birthday Portrait from the Cornish Countryside

Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, turned 11 on Thursday, and Kensington Palace marked the occasion by releasing a new photograph and video of the young royal. The image, taken by photographer Matt Porteous during the family's Easter break in Cornwall, shows Charlotte smiling in a sunny field, wearing a black-and-red striped jumper and blue jeans. A separate video montage from the same holiday was posted hours later, offering a glimpse of Charlotte's activities: bowling a cricket ball, patting the family's two dogs, Orla and Otto, and using white shells to write a message in the sand. The palace accompanied the video with a message of thanks for the birthday wishes.

A Tradition of Portraits by Matt Porteous

Matt Porteous, a photographer based in Jersey, has a long history of working with the Wales family. He has previously captured behind-the-scenes moments from Prince Louis's christening, as well as Christmas cards and official royal portraits. The Easter break in Cornwall provided the setting for both Charlotte's birthday portrait and a separate family photograph released on Wednesday to mark William and Catherine's 15th wedding anniversary. In that anniversary portrait, the couple is seen lying in the grass, smiling, with their three children and the two dogs. The consistent use of Porteous reflects a preference for informal, natural imagery that contrasts with more formal royal portraits.

Charlotte's Place in the Line of Succession

Princess Charlotte of Wales was born at 08:43 on 2 May 2015 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. As the granddaughter of King Charles III, she is third in line to the British throne, after her grandfather and her father, Prince William. She has two brothers: Prince George, who is 12, and Prince Louis, who turned eight on 23 April. Charlotte's last public appearance was at the Royal Family's annual Easter Sunday church service in Windsor, where she was seen smiling and waving at crowds. The family's Easter break in Cornwall, where the birthday images were taken, followed that service.

A Busy Week for Royal Celebrations

Charlotte's birthday comes just a day after the Wales family celebrated the first birthday of their second dog, Otto. They shared a photo of the brown spaniel sitting in a grassy field in Cornwall, with the caption: 'Welcome to the family, Otto! 1 today.' The timing underscores a week of personal milestones for the family, following the wedding anniversary portrait and the release of a holiday video for Prince Louis's eighth birthday. The videos and photographs offer a rare, curated look into the private lives of the royal children, carefully managed by Kensington Palace to balance public interest with the family's desire for privacy.

The Significance of Cornwall as a Family Retreat

Cornwall has become a recurring backdrop for the Wales family's holidays, providing a rural setting away from the formalities of royal life in London. The choice of location for the Easter break—and for these portraits—reinforces a narrative of grounded, outdoor family time. The images of Charlotte playing cricket and walking through daisies are deliberately casual, aligning with the modern image that William and Catherine have cultivated. Porteous's photography, with its natural light and unposed moments, has become a signature of that approach. The birthday portrait, in particular, emphasizes Charlotte's transition from child to young teenager, while still capturing the innocence of her age.

Looking Ahead: Charlotte's Growing Public Role

As Charlotte grows older, her public appearances are likely to become more frequent, though the palace has given no indication of a formal schedule. For now, the family continues to release images on birthdays and holidays, maintaining a controlled but warm presence on social media. The positive reception to these portraits suggests that the public appetite for glimpses into the children's lives remains strong. The Wales family's approach—balancing tradition with modernity—will continue to evolve as the children age. Charlotte, as the only daughter and third in line, occupies a unique position within the monarchy, one that will be watched closely in the years to come.

The bottom line

• Princess Charlotte turned 11 on 2 May 2025, with Kensington Palace releasing a portrait and video from the family's Easter holiday in Cornwall.
• Photographer Matt Porteous, a long-time collaborator with the Wales family, took both Charlotte's birthday portrait and the couple's 15th wedding anniversary photo.
• Charlotte is third in line to the British throne, after King Charles and Prince William, and has two brothers, George and Louis.
• The family's Easter break in Cornwall also included celebrations for the first birthday of their dog Otto.
• Charlotte's last public appearance was at the Easter Sunday church service in Windsor, where she smiled and waved at crowds.
• The release of these images continues the Wales family's strategy of sharing carefully curated, informal portraits of their children on special occasions.