Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate have shared a new photo of their daughter, Princess Charlotte, to celebrate her ninth birthday. The picture, taken in the garden of their Windsor home, shows the smiling princess captured by the lens of the Duchess of Cambridge herself.
“Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!” read the message accompanying the photo on the royal couple’s official social media account. “Thank you for all of the kind messages today.”
Frequently, Kensington Palace, the official residence of Prince William and Kate, releases photos taken by Kate to commemorate special occasions such as birthdays.
Just a week ago, the couple posted a photo of their youngest child, Prince Louis, on the occasion of his sixth birthday.
However, this tradition faced criticism in March when a picture shared by the palace to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K. was edited and subsequently removed by several news agencies. Other images attributed to Kate were also found to have been altered.
Kate later acknowledged editing the photo and apologized for any confusion it caused. Unfortunately, the edited image fueled rumors about her health, which were heightened after she revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy following the discovery of cancer in her body.
The cancer diagnosis was made during tests following major abdominal surgery Kate underwent in January. The royal family has not disclosed the specific details of Kate’s cancer or provided updates on her treatment.
William, who is next in line to the British throne, took a break from his official duties to support Kate during her treatment. He resumed his duties in April, while Kate will return to public engagements only upon medical clearance.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles, William’s father and the current heir apparent, is also undergoing cancer treatment. He recently resumed public engagements after his diagnosis was revealed in February, visiting a cancer treatment center in London associated with a charity of which he is a royal patron.
