Princess Charlotte jets off to France in an £8m private plane
27 July
It was up, up and away for Princess Charlotte for the second time this year, as she joined big brother Prince George and their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for a private summer holiday in south-west France.
The clan travelled in style, touching down at Pau-Pyrenees airport yesterday afternoon in an £8m private jet on loan from the Duke of Westminster. The Duke, who is believed to be Britain's richest man, has previously let Kate and Prince William borrow the Cessna for jaunts to Balmoral.
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Scotland Yard officers and a royal security detail were there to greet the family, who were spirited away in two Range Rovers with tinted windows, reports La Republique des Pyrenees. They are believed to be in the area to visit family and friends.
It is not known where precisely the Duke and Duchess have decided to stay, but the newspaper notes that the nearby town of Laas, where the beret remains a staple, sent a specially made example of the traditional French headgear to Charlotte in honour of her birth last year.
The Princess had her first ever foreign holiday in March, when the Cambridges enjoyed a skiing trip in the French Alps. Although Charlotte is still too young to join her ski-mad parents on the slopes, she appeared to be having fun in photographs showing her beaming in the snow.
Princess Charlotte: Youngest royal is 'feisty', says Duchess of Cambridge
13 June
Princess Charlotte may have just turned one, but it seems that her parents have already been given a taste of the terrible twos, according to comments the Duchess of Cambridge is said to have made to well-wishers at the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations this weekend.
Glynis Double spoke to Kate outside Friday's service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral and asked about her children, reports OK magazine.
Speaking of Charlotte, who celebrated her own birthday last month, the Duchess reportedly said: "Oh, she is very cute but she has got quite a feisty side."
Kate apparently added that she hoped Prince George, who turns three next month, might help keep his sister in line.
Charlotte certainly seemed to show signs of developing a confident personality over the weekend. The youngest royal appeared unfazed as she joined her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Saturday to greet the thousands of well-wishers lining the Mall.
It takes something special to upstage the Queen, but the toddler did just that by giving her first royal wave wile watching a special RAF flypast.
Princess Charlotte's birthday: Five highlights from her first year
3 May
Princess Charlotte celebrated her first birthday yesterday and, although there was no word on the exact details of the occasion, Kensington Palace released a list of the gifts the young royal received.
The youngest royal received presents from 64 different countries, with gift bearers including the Obamas, who gave the Princess a jigsaw and a soft toy, and Prime Minister David Cameron, whose present was a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales.
Her most exotic gift was a coat from the Bhutanese royal family given to the Princess's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when visited the kingdom last month.
A palace spokeswoman said Kate and Prince William were "incredibly grateful" for all the presents.
"The couple have taken a number of gifts into their home, some gifts are stored within the Royal Household, and some gifts were donated to organisations which could make good use of them," she added.
The palace also released four photographs of Charlotte, taken by Kate, to mark the occasion.
The birthday girl is seen in various poses, with one showing her toddling, with the aid of a baby walker filled with blocks, for the first time.
So what have been the highlights of the youngest royal's first year?
Christening
The world got its first glimpse of Charlotte ten hours after her birth, as she was carried out of the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, London, by her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Two months later, she was in the spotlight again, making a second, longer public appearance at her christening at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, to be welcomed into the Church of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Five godparents were appointed – two fewer than for George, but still more than most people.
Ski trip
Sweet photos taken in March showed the family together for their first ever ski trip. A ruddy-faced Charlotte was warmly bundled up in thick winter coats, hats and mittens as she saw snow for the first time alongside her brother and their parents, both keen skiers, at an undisclosed location in the French Alps.
Flower tribute
A flower named after Princess Charlotte is to be exhibited at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, which starts on the 24 May.
The baby pink chrysanthemum was developed by Dutch company Deliflor, which delivered a bouquet of them to Kate and Prince William after Charlotte's birth. The good news for amateur gardeners is that the flowers will be stocked by Waitrose this spring.
The Queen's birthday
In April, celebrated US photographer Annie Leibovitz composed a family portrait to mark the Queen's 90th birthday. The picture shows the monarch holding her grinning great-granddaughter on her lap, surrounded by her other great-grandchildren and two youngest grandchildren.
However, it was Charlotte's second cousin, Mia Tindall, who stole the show, proudly holding up the Queen's handbag in the relaxed shot.
Obama visit
During his farewell tour to the UK, US President Barack Obama stopped off at Kensington Palace to meet the newest additions to the royal family.
But while photos showed George apparently thanking the President for his gift of a rocking horse, sent when the Prince was a newborn, there was no sign of Charlotte. The young Prince was allowed to stay up 15 minutes past his bedtime for the historic encounter, but the palace confirmed that Charlotte spent Obama's visit in the land of nod. Now the question is - will her first presidential meeting be with President Clinton or President Trump?
Princess Charlotte sits on Queen's lap for 'jolly' new photo
21 April
In a new portrait released on the Queen's 90th birthday, Princess Charlotte can be seen sitting on her great-grandmother's lap.
American photographer Annie Leibovitz took the shot of Queen Elizabeth, surrounded by her seven youngest family members: two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
"It is a portrait not only of a monarch, but of a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother too," says the Daily Mail's royal correspondent Rebecca English.
In its lighting and composition, it "echoes the great royal oil paintings of the past", says English.
Aside from Princess Charlotte and Prince George, wearing his staple shorts and high socks, the picture also shows Mia Tindall, the two-year-old daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall, holding up the Queen's handbag.
Prince Edward's children, James and Louise, and the daughters of Peter Phillips, Isla and Savannah, are also posing next to the monarch.
The group portrait was one of three released today – the others included an image of the Queen with her beloved corgis and one with her daughter Princess Anne.
One palace source told People magazine it was a "lovely, jolly affair" and was "very relaxed", adding that Mia Tindall's grab for her great-grandmother's handbag was "completely spontaneous".
Princess Charlotte will be celebrating her first birthday in less than a fortnight on 2 May.
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