Princess Charlotte: Kate And William Prepare For Her First Birthday
Princess Charlotte turns 1-year-old on May 2, and the world is waiting to see how the most popular baby princess will celebrate her big day. Like most first birthday parties, the planning has probably been going on for a while, but for a royal baby, there are more things to consider.
Will Charlotte’s great-grandmother the Queen, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday, attend the festivities? One thing for sure: The photos of Charlotte as she turns one are sure to be super cute. And any of her with big brother Prince George will break the internet.
Although Princess Charlotte is fourth in line to the throne, her parents are trying to raise her and George in as normal a way as possible. People spoke to “Sarah Dixon, a maternity nurse who has worked for friends of the royal couple,” about what might be planned for Charlotte.
“‘Normally for a high-profile kids birthday, the invite goes out six months prior to the event. These people have busy diaries!'”
Busy schedules or not, an invitation from the Cambridges is probably going to bump everything else out of the way. Dixon goes on to say that she thinks the party “will definitely have some sort of theme, maybe something gender-neutral like animals or pretty gingham cotton bunting with elegant lunch settings and canapés for the adults.”
Here's a new photo of 6-month-old Princess Charlotte, taken by her mother, The Duchess of Cambridge, in early Nov. pic.twitter.com/sgfYOj6fAQ
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 29, 2015
The princess’ party is likely to be outside, British spring weather permitting. Dixon notes “that an outdoor setting is often best, especially for rambunctious two-year-olds like big brother Prince George.” The Cambridges’ glorious country home, in the beautiful but remote eastern county of Norfolk, would be perfect for a little country girl’s party. Anmer Hall, which is in a village on the Queen’s Sandringham estate, sits in large gardens that are perfect for children to run about and get up to mischief.
Princess Charlotte may be the birthday girl, but it’s a safe bet that Prince George will be just as excited about the festivities. He might even try to take over.
“‘George will enjoy all the birthday festivities, and I’m sure there will be a few of his friends invited too,’ says Dixon. ‘He’ll help Charlotte open all her gifts – older siblings love to do that!'”
Prince George attends a kindergarten close to Anmer: Westacre Montessori School. An invitation to George’s little sister’s birthday party will be the hottest ticket going at the school, which is near the small market town of King’s Lynn. Although rather isolated, Norfolk is famous for the number of upper-middle-class families who live there.
This photo of Princess Charlotte was also taken by The Duchess of Cambridge at home in Norfolk earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/YHeJ5ItPmi
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 29, 2015
The Cambridges have many friends and family in the area. These include the Van Cutsems at Hillsborough Hall, whose daughter Grace was a bridesmaid at the Cambridge’s wedding, and Kate’s friend Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, founder of one of Kate’s favorite design houses, Beulah. A niece of Diana, Princes of Wales, Lady Laura Fellowes, also lives a few miles from Anmer. The invitation list for Charlotte’s birthday will probably be very long and will definitely be extremely posh.
Princess Charlotte stole the show during the Queen’s 90th celebrations. Charlotte, along with George, the Queen’s great-grandchildren and her youngest grandchildren, posed for an official portrait to mark the occasion. The photograph, by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, has “deliberate echoes of portraits of Queen Victoria…who was often photographed surrounded by royal children, with the youngest in her arms,” notes the Telegraph.
The adorable Princess Charlotte, dressed in a pretty floral dress with matching pink tights and white patent shoes, stole the show. While George stands at the Queen’s knee with a serious expression, Charlotte’s cheeky smile lights up the picture. If her birthday celebrations take place at the Cambridges’ London home, Kensington Palace, the portrait could be recreated although with a little more gaiety and a lot more giggling.
However, Princess Charlotte spends her first birthday, the little princess and her brother are sure to have a wonderful time at a party fit for a princess.
[Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]
