Happy 3rd Birthday Charlotte

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge was born at St. Mary's Hospital, London on 2nd May, 2015.

Charlotte is the only daughter and second child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Catherine and William's firstborn, Prince George arrived in 2013. 

Baby Charlotte was christened on 5th July, 2015 at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham. It is the same place her paternal grandmother the Hon. Diana Spencer was christened in 1961.

The young princess has spent most of her early years between Anmer Hall in Norfolk and the family's home Apartment 1A, Kensington Palace. She has been on two royal tours- Canada in 2016 and Poland and Germany in 2017. 

In January Charlotte commenced preschool at Willcocks Nursery School in Kensington. The princess also learns tennis at the Hurlingham Club, has shown an interest in horseriding and is learning some Spanish from her nanny Maria Teresa Borrallo.

George and Charlotte were joined by baby brother Prince Louis Arthur Charles last week- 23rd April. 

Her next big outing will be at uncle Prince Harry's wedding to Ms Meghan Markle on 19th of May.

Happy Birthday Princess Charlotte!

The Queen at 90

Although this website focuses on the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and eventually any children of Prince Harry, I have decided it timely to include some information about the official celebrations this weekend to mark H.M. The Queen's 90th birthday.

The Queen was born Princess Elizabeth, first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. Her birth took place on 21st April 1926 at 17 Bruton St, Mayfair, London. Her father Prince Albert was the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. Whilst being second in line to the throne it was never anticipated that Albert would ever succeed the throne.

The heir to the throne was the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward and when King George V died in 1936, Edward became King Edward VIII. However a coronation never took place. Edward was given a choice- be crowned King of England and hence Head of the Church of England or abdicate and marry his divorced American lover Wallis Simpson. He chose the latter and formally abdicated in December 1936.

Overnight the lives of the York family changed forever. Albert became King George VI, his wife now Queen Elizabeth and his daughter Elizabeth became heir to the throne. Although she had a younger sister Princess Margaret Rose, should the King and Queen have a son in the future, the boy would overtake Elizabeth as heir.

It is interesting to note that before Princess Charlotte's birth in 2015,  the law was changed so that younger brothers could not overtake older sisters in the line of succession.

Princess Elizabeth would go on to marry Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark on 20th November 1947. Prince Philip's surname was the German Battenburg but this was "softened" to Mountbatten ( his mother's British family name) to reassure Britons still suffering after World War II. Philip also had to renounce claims to the Greek and Danish thrones and covert to the Anglican Church.

Philip was a serving British Naval Officer and whilst the couple met previously, it was a meeting at the Dartmouth Naval College when the Princess was 13 that they became attracted to one another .

The couple had Prince Charles in 1948 and Princess Anne in 1950.

When King George VI died of lung cancer on February 6th, 1952 at Sandringham House, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth I was of course the daughter of Tudor King Henry VIII.

The Queen's coronation took place on 2nd June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. Prince Charles and Princess Anne looked on with their grandmother who would come to be fondly known as the Queen Mother. 

The Queen later had two further children, Prince Andrew in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964.

The Queen has gone on to become Britain's longest serving Monarch and is also it's oldest ever Monarch.

Over this special weekend when the formal birthday festivities takes place, I will add further posts.

Royal Family 2015 Trooping The Colour source: royal.gov

Happy 1st Birthday Charlotte

On the 2nd May 2015, Princess Charlotte was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. The same birth place as her brother George, father William and uncle Harry.

The baby girl was the second child and first daughter for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

Almost two weeks overdue, Catherine had gone into labour at Kensington Palace the evening before. Just after 6am, the Duchess was admitted to hospital and at 8.34am, the princess was born weighing 8lb 3oz.

During the afternoon Prince William went to Kensington Palace to collect Prince George and take him to the hospital to meet his new baby sister. By all accounts the introduction went well. 

Later George was taken home by his nanny and just after 6.10pm the Duke and Duchess left hospital with their beautiful new daughter who was 4th in line to the throne. The family retired to Kensington Palace for a few days where the baby was met by her grandparents and the Queen. 

The princess was officially named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Charlotte is thought to be the feminine version of Charles, her paternal grandfather. Elizabeth in honour of the Queen and the late Queen Mother. Diana is a touching nod to the baby's paternal grandmother, the Princess of Wales who passed away in 1997. 

The Cambridge family decamped to their country home Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate to begin their new life as a family of four in the relative privacy and quiet away from London. 

Charlotte was Christened on July 5th at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham. It is the same venue for the Christening of her late grandmother Diana who also lived on the Sandringham Estate at Park House when she was a child.

Portraits of the young princess have been released at a month old, at her Christening, six months old, Christmas, and again when the family enjoyed their first skiing holiday just a few weeks ago. A portrait of the Queen and her youngest grandchildren and great grandchildren was issued two weeks ago on the occasion of Her Majesty's 90th birthday. Charlotte can be seen sitting sweetly on the Queen's lap.

Happy Birthday Princess Charlotte of Cambridge!

Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Tuesday 5th May, 2015

source: KensingtonRoyal

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced the name of their newborn daughter.

The baby has been named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. She will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

Charlotte is a name used for Queens and princesses in the past. Elizabeth would be in honour of the baby's great grandmother the current Queen and great-great grandmother the late Queen Mother.

Diana is obviously after Prince William's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales who passed away in 1997. It is a special choice and one that had been hoped for by royal followers. 

It is thought that the new family of four will travel to their country home Anmer Hall over the coming days. The home is on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk where the Queen is expected to meet the new princess.