New Footage of Princess Charlotte Sparks Family Concerns
New footage of Princess Charlotte, released to celebrate her 11th birthday, has captured the hearts of fans around the world. However, behind the scenes, there are growing concerns from Prince William and his wife, Kate, about the level of public attention their daughter is receiving.
The video, shared on Instagram on May 2, showed Charlotte playing with the family’s pet dogs and bowling for a game of cricket – likely with her brother, Prince Louis – on the beach during the Wales’ Easter holiday in Cornwall. The footage was accompanied by a separate portrait taken by photographer Matt Porteous, which depicted Charlotte beaming at the camera in a striped jumper and jeans, with her long brunette hair left loose.
“Wishing Charlotte a very happy 11th birthday!” the post read simply. The images quickly gained more than half a million likes within hours of being posted. However, sources have revealed that Kate and William are reportedly concerned about the intense online interest in their daughter.
According to insiders, the couple has been “taken aback” by the “somewhat obsessive” attention surrounding Charlotte’s birthday. “William and Kate are genuinely uncomfortable about ‘Charlotte mania’ and the huge following she’s getting,” said an insider. “But it may be too late to stop it.”
Interestingly, it’s claimed that the young princess has no intention of being hidden from social media like her cousins, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who are the children of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
“She’s doing everything [Kate and William] asked her – to be kind, gracious and well-behaved, to absolute perfection – and it’s working,” the source told Woman’s Day. “She’s not going to let her folks start ‘hiding her away’, but Kate’s worried about the enormous pressure she’s taking on – she’s not even a teenager yet!”
Indeed, it’s understandable that Kate and William are mindful of the exposure Charlotte is receiving at such a tender age. In the Netherlands, just days before Charlotte’s birthday, a man was detained in connection with an alleged plot to attack Dutch royals Princess Catharina-Amalia, 22, and Princess Alexia, 20. This incident highlights the potential dangers that come with public life, especially for young members of royal families.
Keeping their children safe from online trolls is also a major concern for Charlotte’s estranged aunt and uncle, Prince Harry and Meghan, who are based in Montecito. As Prince Archie prepares to celebrate his seventh birthday on May 6, Woman’s Day previously reported that Meghan had been considering releasing a more formal portrait of him.
“Meghan feels the timing is perfect to put out an official set of pictures for his birthday, especially with the recent launch of her Archie-inspired candle,” the source said. However, Harry is reportedly not fully on board with the idea.
“Harry’s not convinced her reasons are enough to put Archie at risk, not just having his face plastered all over the world in seconds, but the trolls and the bullying he’s going to face,” the insider shared. “Harry knows from bitter experience how a childhood in the spotlight can change your life and not always for the better.”
