Princess Charlotte of Wales smiles in a new portrait shared to mark her 11th birthday.

Princess Charlotte on her 11th birthday.Credit : princeandprincessofwales/Instagram

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Princess Charlotte marked her 11th birthday with a never-before-seen portrait on Saturday, May 2
She is the middle child of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s three children
Princess Charlotte “has taken to royal events like a duck to water,” a palace insider previously told PEOPLE

Princess Charlotte is celebrating a special occasion — her birthday!

Princess Charlotte turned 11 on Saturday, May 2, and Kate Middleton and Prince William shared a new portrait to mark the milestone. The snap was taken by photographer Matt Porteous during the family’s Easter break in Cornwall.

The never-before-seen photo shows Charlotte surrounded by flowers while standing in a field. She is all smiles as she poses in a striped top and denim pants with her nails painted blue.

“Wishing Charlotte a very happy 11th birthday! 🎂,” the Prince and Princess of Wales captioned the post on Instagram.

In a follow-up post, Kate and William shared a video of Charlotte, which featured clips of her petting dogs and playing outdoors.

“Thank you for the lovely birthday messages for Princess Charlotte, 11 today!” the post’s caption read.

Charlotte is the middle child of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children. Prince William, 43, and Princess Kate, 44, are also parents to sons Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, 8.

PEOPLE explored Princess Charlotte’s royal upbringing in an exclusive cover story last year, where a palace insider said, “She is quite a strong character, almost wise beyond her years.”

Hands-on mom Kate has long been intentional about how she is raising her kids, balancing duty and normalcy. The effort is perhaps most visible in Charlotte, whose poise and polish shine during public appearances.

“It’s truly her personality — it’s not forced,” says children’s wear designer Amaia Arrieta, who has met her several times. “She looks very confident and at ease with herself and the environment she’s in. The maturity that comes with that responsibility — she seems to nail it every time.”

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Prince William, Prince George, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.The Prince and Princess of Wales

Outside of the spotlight, Charlotte attends Lambrook School with her brothers and her parents are regulars on the sidelines of her sports games.

“She’s clearly sporty like her mother. A bit of a mini-me,” said a palace insider.

Princess Charlotte of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 5, 2026 in Windsor, England.

Princess Charlotte, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis and Prince William in April 2026.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The Prince and Princess of Wales’ only daughter is also passionate about dance and plays piano like her mother, making her debut on the keys in a broadcast of Kate’s annual Christmas carol service in December 2025.

And despite the formal settings she’s often placed in, Charlotte stays true to herself.

“She’s a natural and has taken to royal events like a duck to water,” said the palace insider.