Princess Charlotte's biggest milestones: from first holiday to starting school

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's only daughter Princess Charlotte has grown up before the eyes of the public, from the day she was born to her first day at school and everything in between. The royal recently turned five, so we've taken a look back at some of Charlotte's biggest milestones…

For her fifth birthday, Duchess Kate shared several sweet snaps of Charlotte doing her bit to help the community during the coronavirus lockdown. Dressed in a sweet gingham dress from Zara, the young royal helped her family make batches of fresh pasta and delivering food packages to elderly and vulnerable people living near Sandringham.

Who can forget the adorable moment Charlotte curtseyed to the Queen? Charlotte and her brother George usually stay home on Christmas Day, but they joined their parents for the annual visit to Sandringham church in 2019, where Charlotte gave a royal curtsey to her grandmother on the steps of Sandringham - so sweet!

While Kate shared pictures of Charlotte standing up with the help of a wooden walker in May 2016, it wasn't until months later that we saw her taking her first unassisted (albeit slightly unsteady!) steps...

It's safe to say that the adorable toddler, who was one at the time, stole the show at a children's party at Canada's Government House in Victoria.

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The little girl made history after being alive for only a couple of hours when she became the first royal baby whose arrival was announced on Twitter. "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a daughter at 8.34 am. The baby weighs 8lbs 3oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth," Kensington Palace posted on their official account in May 2015.

When she was just two years old, Charlotte attended the wedding of her aunt Pippa Middleton to James Matthews, where she was one of the bridesmaids. While she was "perfectly behaved inside", Kate's daughter "began to cry at one point and [the kids' nanny] comforted her," E! News reported. Bless her!

Prince William and Kate's daughter joined her older brother George at 'big school' back in September 2019, when she started Reception at Thomas's Battersea. The little girl seemed a little shy twirling her ponytail as she walked into the school gates hand-in-hand with her mother!

Before that, the royal tot attended Willcocks Nursery in Kensington. To mark her first day, Kate Middleton snapped two photos of her daughter that were released by Kensington Palace.

Photo: Kensington Palace/Duchess of Cambridge

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The princess made her first public appearance with George and her family on the day of her christening. Charlotte wore the same lace christening gown that George had worn in 2013 and was surrounded by close family and her five godparents for the intimate service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.

At 10-months-old, Princess Charlotte enjoyed her first trip abroad with her parents and brother George. The royals visited the French Alps for a long weekend. A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: "This was their first holiday as a family of four and the first time either of the children had played in the snow.

"It was a very special and fun short holiday for the family, and they are grateful that John Stillwell was able to capture the moment so well."

Not only did this holiday snap show Charlotte's striking resemblance to her father Prince William, but they also proved that she had reached another important milestone – showing her first two teeth.

How sweet are the first official photos of the siblings? Princess Charlotte's family was clearly smitten by the new arrival, with both Prince Charles and Prince Harry describing the baby girl as "beautiful." The newborn quickly won over her brother Prince George too, as he was pictured by his mum planting a kiss on his sister's cheek.

Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge

In May 2017, Kensington Palace released a new photo of Charlotte ahead of her second birthday. The picture was shot outside of their Norfolk home Anmer Hall by her mum Kate. 

Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace

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Proud father Prince William revealed that she already had sporting abilities at just 11-months-old! In April 2016, Princess Charlotte could already kick a ball and was showing promise of being a "very good footballer." Speaking at a British Football Association reception, William said: "She's a very good footballer. You hold her hand and she kicks it. Very sweet."

Judging from this photo taken in 2019, we'd say William was correct!

The royal couple released the first solo official portraits of Charlotte at the end of November 2015, showing just how much she had changed in the months since her christening. The images were captured by keen photographer Kate at the family's country home Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

Photo: The Duchess of Cambridge

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In an interview for the ITV documentary Our Queen at Ninety, the Duchess of Cambridge confirmed that Queen Elizabeth was "thrilled" at the birth of Princess Charlotte. Kate said: "It's very special having a new little girl…I feel very, very lucky that George has got a little sister. The Queen was really thrilled that it was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington she was one of our first visitors here."

Princess Charlotte was less than a year old when she topped Tatler magazine's list of "People who really matter" – beating both her mum Kate and great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth to the title.

She also made her mark on the beauty world with Marc Jacobs announcing that he had named a new lipstick shade from the Le Marc Lip Crème collection after Princess Charlotte. The young royal achieved another feat by being the inspiration for a children's book by author David Seow, called A Royal Adventure.