Expert Shares the Simple Way Princess Kate Is Ensuring Daughter Princess Charlotte Doesn't "Grow Up Too Quickly"
"Charlotte and her family stay very true to her age."


Princess Charlotte turned 10 years old in May 2025, and the little royal is already carving out her own style aesthetic. From the polka-dot dress she can't stop wearing to her decision to ditch her "sweet" wardrobe in favor of a cool "tween vibe," Princess Charlotte is set to—one day—become a style icon, just like her mother. But for now, Princess Kate is reportedly ensuring that her daughter doesn't "grow up too soon" in several small, simple ways.
Hello! magazine's fashion and beauty news editor, Laura Sutcliffe, recently discussed how Kate Middleton chooses hairstyles and clothing which are age-appropriate for Princess Charlotte. Sutcliffe explained, "Charlotte has always been a big fan of plaits and has worn plaited hair throughout most of her public appearances as a royal."
The editor continued, "It's always lovely to see Princess Charlotte's hair looking so neat, tidy, and pretty at the same time." Explaining why Charlotte's go-to hairstyle is so important, Sutcliffe noted, "I think it's great to see a girl of her age experimenting with plaits and having fun with her hair. Lots of people complain that young girls grow up too quickly and do things that are too grown up with their hair, but Charlotte and her family stay very true to her age and respect it."
"Charlotte and her family stay very true to her age and respect it."
When Princess Charlotte accompanied her mom, Princess Kate, to Wimbledon in July 2024, she did so wearing her now-beloved polka-dot dress. "It felt like a bit of a milestone, like she's transitioning from a sweet little girl in smocked floral dresses to a slightly more grown-up tween vibe," Bethan Holt, the Daily Telegraph's style editor, told People.
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Understandably, Princess Kate wants to ensure her children have as normal a childhood as possible, which includes not growing "up too soon" in the way they dress or style their hair.
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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.