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

In their defense, this is a tough one.

Princess Charlotte
(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
Kayleigh Roberts
Weekend Editor

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. 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.