Queen Elizabeth II was a proud grandmother and great-grandmother, and she often spoke affectionately about her great-grandchildren, including the Prince and Princess of Wales's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Her Late Majesty shared an insight into the bond between George and Charlotte during a church service in Sandringham in January 2018.
Speaking to Ellen Clay at the time, who watched her daughter Emily, then ten, receive a Bible from the monarch, she asked her if she "looked after" her little sister, to which Ellen responded that it was the "other way around".
The late Queen replied: "It's like that with Charlotte and George."
Following her royal encounter, Ellen said at the time: "She asked if Emily looked after Hadleigh and I said it was more the other way round. She said it was like that with Princess Charlotte and Prince George," while her husband Tom added: "The Queen was implying that Charlotte keeps an eye out for George rather than the other way around. It is often the case that a younger child is more confident. It is second child syndrome."
The late Queen's comments echoed a comment made by the then Duchess of Cambridge in March 2017 as she and Prince William attended the unveiling of a war memorial commemorating the men and women who had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, in London.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking to Samantha Burge, wife of Warrant Officer Class 2 Chris Burge, at the time, Kate said that "Charlotte is growing up really fast. She is the one in charge".
The youngster was only two at the time, but Charlotte's close relationship with her brothers, George and Louis, is often noticed during public appearances.
Royal sibling bond
In a touching home video to mark George's 12th birthday in July, the trio were seen holding hands as they walked through the woods in Norfolk, with the Prince and Charlotte, ten, later giggling as they lifted seven-year-old Louis up.
© Kensington PalaceWilliam also shared a glimpse into his family life as he appeared on Eugene Levy's show, The Reluctant Traveler, in October.
Speaking about how he, Kate and their children sit down together for meals, he said: "We sit and chat, it's really important. None of our children have any phones, which we're very strict about."
© UK Press via Getty ImagesAsked what they do instead, William says Louis "is obsessed with trampolining" and that he and Charlotte "end up jumping up and down on the trampoline, beating each other up, most of the time. Apparently, there is an art to it. Charlotte does her netball as well and her ballet and so keeping them busy with sports and being outdoors is really important. They're trying to learn musical instruments. I'm not sure how successful we're being with that. George loves his football and his hockey."
The royal siblings look out for one another with Louis rushing over to give his big sister flowers from a member of the public during the Christmas Day walkabout in Sandringham in 2022.
© WPA PoolCharlotte also seemed to be guiding Louis at the King's coronation in May 2023, with the pair arriving at Westminster Abbey hand-in-hand. The Princess has also been seen reminding her brothers of etiquette, gently telling George to bow at the right time during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in 2022.
