Princess Charlotte sported a darling smile as she posed for a picture, ringing in her 9th birthday.

As the little princess flashed her radiant smile, it was none other than her mother, Kate Middleton, standing behind the camera.

Charlotte stands third in line to the British throne after her father, Prince William, and her brother, 10-year-old Prince George. Her younger brother, Prince Louis, 6, comes next in line after Princess Charlotte, whose last single-digit birthday was marked on May 2, 2024.

Princess Charlotte offered a radiant smile as her mother, Kate Middleton, clicked a picture of her and rang in her 9th birthday

Image credits: princeandprincessofwales

“Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!” read the caption as the Instagram handle for Kate and William shared the picture of the princess.

“Thank you for all of the kind messages today,” the message added.

Fans and well-wishers of the royal family gushed with love and showered the little royal with praise on her special day.

Nine is a “wonderful age,” fans said as they wished Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of Kate Middleton and Prince William, a happy birthday

Image credits: Stephen Pond/Getty Images

When she was younger, the little princess also had other nicknames that complemented her spirited nature.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl said she was called “Warrior Princess” because of her love for adventures.

“Apparently she earned that nickname because obviously she is a princess but she is quite a tomboy,” Katie told ET in 2019. “She loves climbing trees and she’s very much an adventurer.”

Princess Kate herself once spoke about her daughter and her adorable “feisty side.”

“Oh, she is very cute but she has got quite a feisty side!” she said during celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s official 90th birthday in 2016.

Princess Charlotte stands third in line to the British throne after her father, Prince William, and brother, Prince George, and before her younger brother, Prince Louis

Image credits: princeandprincessofwales

The Princess of Wales also joked, at the time, that she was counting on her two sons to keep her daughter in line, according to People.

“She said, ‘Oh, she is very cute but she has got quite a feisty side!’ I then asked her about George and she said he was a really lovely little boy. She said she hopes that George will keep Charlotte in order!” attendee Glynis Double was quoted telling reporters.

The birthday portrait of Princess Charlotte, celebrating nine years around the sun, came in the wake of the photo-editing controversy involving the British royal family. Earlier this year, several news agencies removed a Mother’s Day photograph of Princess Kate and her children, citing concerns over potential manipulation.

The image not only commemorated Mother’s Day but was also the first official photograph of Princess Kate shared with the public after she underwent abdominal surgery in January

Image credits: princeandprincessofwales

News agencies pulled down the photograph after reporting that the image had apparent errors.

The Princess of Wales eventually apologized and took responsibility for having the official photograph edited.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” she said on Twitter, addressing the controversy.

Fans flooded the comments section with birthday wishes for Princess Charlotte

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