Princess Charlotte Starts Every Day with a Shakira Song
It’s the just-turned-seven-year-old’s morning tradition.


Picture this: A routine weekday morning in Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace. The entire Cambridge family—the Duke and Duchess and their three children Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, and even pup Orla—are in the mad but happy rush to get the elder two kids, George and Charlotte, off to school at Thomas’s Battersea Prep School. Everyone in the family loves music, so on come the tunes to get ready for the day. Interrupt the idyllic setting with…
“Most mornings there’s a massive fight between Charlotte and George as to what song is played,” said Prince William, per the Mirror. “And I have to, now, basically prioritize that one day someone does this one, and another day it’s someone else’s turn. So George gets his go, then Charlotte gets her go. Such is the clamor for the music.”
When it’s Charlotte’s turn? Expect your daily dose of Shakira, specifically “Waka Waka”—the princess’ favorite song.
“It’s a really happy moment where the children just enjoy dancing, messing around, and singing,” William said.
In particular, when it comes to pop music, his mother Princess Diana was a big fan of songs like Tina Turner’s “The Best”—which William recounted recently she used to blast through the radio on car rides to school with him and younger brother Prince Harry.
“One of the songs I massively remember and has stuck with me all this time, and I to this day still quite enjoy secretly, is Tina Turner’s ‘The Best,’” he said. “Because sitting in the backseat, singing away, it felt like a real family moment.”
He continued “My mother, she’d be driving along singing at the top of her voice. We’d even get the policeman [security] in the car; he’d occasionally be singing along as well. We’d be singing and listening to the music right the way up to the gates at school where they dropped you off.”
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
It seems the tradition of before school pop music sessions continues, as William makes memories with his kids that one day they will fondly remember.
“What I’ve been amazed by is how much my children already have inherited my family’s love of music,” William said.
And, if Charlotte’s in charge of the day’s playlist? Cue the Shakira!

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Why Queen Elizabeth "Couldn't" Give Fan Her Autograph
Instead, the monarch personally arranged for a special surprise to be delivered after the event.
-
A Photo of Diana With David Bowie Caused Controversy
"My agent got a call from the palace, saying, 'Don't use the pictures.'"
-
Diana's Surprising Revelation About Marriage to Charles
"She said to me just before she died, it wasn't Camilla."
-
Royal Expert Says Princess Diana Would Be "Proud" of Prince Harry's Candid BBC Interview
"She liked to say exactly what she thought and then deal with the consequences afterwards."
-
A Surprising Royal Is Attending Pope Leo XIV's Inauguration Later This Month
Buckingham Palace shared the unexpected news in a statement.
-
Princess Kate Has Now Received the Same Special Honor as Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte
Kensington Palace announced the beautiful tribute on May 9.
-
Why Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte Skipped VE Day Service With Their Parents
The Wales children stayed behind for a solid reason.
-
Prince William and Princess Kate’s Parenting Decisions With Louis and Charlotte are "Absolutely Critical" to the Crown
The Prince of Wales aims to make "the whole royal existence approachable and not scary for all his children."
-
"Practical" Princess Charlotte Is the Opposite of Cheeky Prince Louis: "Wise Beyond Her Years"
"She is quite a strong character."
-
Prince Louis Gives His Unfiltered Review of VE Day Celebrations With Princess Charlotte and Prince George
You can count on little brother Louis to keep it real.
-
Prince George Gets a Taste of His Future as King During Rare Solo Outing With Parents Prince William and Kate Middleton
The 11-year-old joined his family and the British prime minister at a tea party honoring WWII veterans.