Princess Charlotte Looks Like Both the Queen and Prince William in Her New Birthday Portraits

In their defense, this is a tough one.

The Queen, Princess Charlotte and Prince William
(Image credit: Instagram)
  • This weekend, Kensington Palace released Princess Charlotte's fifth birthday portraits, which were taken by her mother, Kate Middleton.
  • While royal fans have noticed for years just how much Charlotte resembles a young Queen Elizabeth II, the princess' newest portraits highlighted another strong family resemblance—the one between Charlotte and her father, Prince William.
  • In April, when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's youngest child, Prince Louis, celebrated his second birthday, a friend of Kate's revealed that Louis is the only one of her kids who she thinks looks like her.

Princess Charlotte's latest set of birthday portraits prove just how quickly the five-year-old royal is growing up before our very eyes. We can all agree on that point, yes? Good.

After seeing Charlotte's new birthday picture, however, royal fans are split on another point: Which of her royal relatives the young princess looks the most like.

For years now, there's been a strong contingent on people who shout from the rooftops just how much Charlotte looks like a young Queen Elizabeth. Here, for your comparing convenience, is Charlotte's new birthday portrait next to a photo of Elizabeth from 1935, when she was just a few years older than Charlotte is now:

The Queen and Princess Charlotte

(Image credit: Instagram)

Upon seeing the newest pictures of the young princess, however, many royal fans were struck by just how much she's growing to resemble her dad, Prince William. While it might be hard to imagine it now, with 2020 William in mind, the resemblance becomes clear when you look at Charlotte's new birthday portrait next to a photo of Will from 1988, not long after his sixth birthday:

Prince William and Princess Charlotte

(Image credit: Instagram)

The eyebrows. The mischievous grins. We totally see it.

There's at least one relative who is bowing out of the "Who Does Charlotte Look Like" competition: Her mom, Kate Middleton.

Last month, when Will and Kate's youngest child, Prince Louis, celebrated his second birthday, a source close to Kate revealed that Louis is the only Cambridge kid who Kate thinks takes after the Middleton side of the gene pool.

"Everyone always comments on how Louis is the spitting image of Kate," the friend told People. "She loves it and thinks it’s very sweet; she often jokes that he’s the only one of her kids who actually looks like her!"

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

subscribe here

Related stories
Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Rihanna and A$AP were seen on a casual date night out at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. rihanna wore jeans, a vest, and a new alaia bag
Rihanna Hard-Launches Alaïa's New $2,350 It Bag With a Baseball Cap and Jeans
Bella Hadid carries the Coach empire bag in New York City with a black mini dress
Bella Hadid Secures Coach's Must-Have Empire Bag, Just Like I Predicted She Would
Selena Gomez wears a cropped blazer and matching trousers while attending the Drew Barrymore show in New York City
Selena Gomez Is the Cropped Blazer Trend's Final Boss
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Rihanna in a head scarf and multiple necklaces
Rihanna’s Jamaica Manicure Will Unite the Caribbean