Kate Middleton releases adorable new photos of Princess Charlotte to mark her birthday

Three adorable portraits have been shared celebrating the 7th birthday of Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Photographed by the duchess, the three images show Charlotte smiling and leaning into the camera as she cuddles the family's dog and sits among spring bluebells in a field in Norfolk, England.

According to the Daily Mail, the images were taken at the family's country home, Anmer Hall, and reveal for the first time the family's spaniel, named Orla.

Charlotte, whose cheeky personality has been captured over the years, is said to love ballet, and rugby - where she gives big brother George a run for his money.

The second child of William and Kate and sister to George, 8, and Louis, 4, Charlotte is fourth in line to the British throne and a pupil at Thomas's prep school in Battersea, southwest London.

This year's birthday photos, shared to the family's Instagram account, mark a return to social media after the decision was made last year not to share the little princess' 6th birthday portraits. The royals joined the sports boycott of social media platforms in 2021 in protest of racism and abuse.

Charlotte's portraits follow a set Louis', shared at the end of April, to celebrate his 4th birthday.

Also captured by their mum, Kate, a keen photographer, the joyful collection of photos showed Louis playing in the sand, sprinting in front of the camera with a huge smile on his face and another shows him playfully holding a cricket ball.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.