Happy 10th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!

Happy Birthday wishes to Princess Charlotte, who is ten years old today!

The image released to mark the Princess’s birthday was taken by the Princess of Wales. Sky News reports the photo was taken with an iPhone during a visit to Cumbria earlier this year.

I’m betting almost everyone remembers the Princess’s arrival ten years ago.

We quickly recap the Princess’s last year, beginning with the family’s appearance at Trooping the Colour in June 2024. 

In this image, you see her riding in the Glass State Coach. 

Earlier that day, the Princess is seen with her brothers as they watched the ceremony from the Major General’s office.

The morning after Trooping the Colour, the Princess was seen in a photo shared when the Wales children made their first social media post, wishing their father a Happy Father’s Day. The Princess of Wales took the photo.

Just days later, we saw the children again on Prince William’s 42nd birthday, when a social media message from the Princess of Wales featured a photo she took of the children with their father.

We saw more photos of the Princess when the two oldest Wales children attended a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium with their father.

Taylor Swift’s post on her official Instagram page showed her with the royals and her significant other, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. The message referenced Prince William’s birthday that day.

The Princess joined her mother and Aunt Pippa at Wimbledon in mid-July. 

This photograph shows the young Princess shaking hands with England’s Emma Raducanu.

Here you see the mother/daughter duo speaking with Barbora Krejcikova, who took the Ladies’ Finals title. Princess Charlotte is holding the racket used by Ms. Krejcikova in her victory.

The Princess with her aunt. 

I always liked this shot of Princess Charlotte reacting to the warm reception her mother received from the crowd. 

Another photo taken by the Princess of Wales shows the Princess and her younger brother watching England take on Spain in the UEFA Championship in July.

The Princess in a screengrab from the September 2024 video her mother released, announcing she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. 

Another image from the video.

One more picture from the September video.

The Princess joined her family for the December taping of “Royal Carols: Together at Christmas.”

A photo from inside the Abbey. 

We were delighted to see the Princess and her brothers again on Christmas Day. 

The Princess and Mia Tindall.

One more image from Christmas. 

Here you see the Princess in the photo his mother took for her ninth birthday, and the image released today.

And here you can see how the Princess has grown over the years.

In today’s photo, the Princess appears to be wearing a jacket by British retailer Jack Pyke. With thanks to Natasha for the tip, it appears to be the Jack Pyke Junior Jacket ($76) in the “oak evolution” colorway featuring a three-dimensional pattern using oak branches, acorns, and leaves.

The jacket is waterproof with a front zip covered with a storm flap placket, hood, and pockets. It is available at Jack Pyke (£45.95, about $60 at today’s exchange rates), at Outdoor Depot (£39.95, roughly $61), and also at Amazon ($76). 

I will see you on Monday for coverage of events marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe).

Here are two snippets from the Kate’s Calendar page. 

• Monday, May 5: The Prince & Princess of Wales will join the King, Queen, and other Royal Family members on the Queen Victoria Memorial (QVM) outside Buckingham Palace, alongside veterans from the Royal British Legion, to observe military units processing down The Mall from Whitehall in honour of those who served during the Second World War. Once the parade has ended, the Royal Family will return to Buckingham Palace before appearing on the balcony to watch a flypast. Veterans will watch the flypast from the gardens of Buckingham Palace with the Prime Minister and other senior guests.
• Thursday, May 8: The Prince and Princess of Wales will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day by attending a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey with the King, Queen, and other Royal Family members. The service begins at noon local time, 7am on the East Coast. 

Because Monday is an official Bank Holiday, I think it’s possible we will see the Wales children at the flypast. Below, Oxford Street draped with Union Jacks last week ahead of the anniversary events. 
Embed from Getty Images

Here is a map for Monday’s parade and flypast. 

Preps for next week’s events have been underway for months. Below, Gilbert Clarke, age 98, and Ruth Bourne, 98, join other Second World War veterans at a tea party organized by the Royal British Legion at the Ritz in March. 
Embed from Getty Images
More from the VE Day 80 site. 

On 8 May 2025, we mark the historic 80th anniversary of VE Day, with the peoples, families and communities of our great nation coming together to unite and celebrate 80 years of peace since the end of Word War II in Europe that so many millions paid the ultimate sacrificed to achieve it.

VE Day 80 is not only a tribute to those who fought for the freedom we all enjoy today, but also a powerful reminder of the resilience and unity that have defined our country ever since. 

Special flags have been made to mark the anniversary. 
Embed from Getty Images
We will see something different at the Cenotaph on Monday. 

For the first time since its unveiling in 1920, the cenotaph will be draped in Union Flags for #VEDay80.

On the 5th May, a military parade will start at Whitehall and end at Buckingham Palace. Street parties will take place, and there’ll be a major celebration onboard HMS… https://t.co/vzAp8METHp

— Daniel J. Devane 🇬🇧 (@DanielJDevane) March 5, 2025

The poppies are back at the Tower of London, nearly 30,000 of the original poppies from the 2014 installation, ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.‘

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, our Yeoman Warders share their personal reflections on remembrance and what the #TowerPoppies commemorative display means to them 🌺

The Tower Remembers 🏰
📆 6 May – 11 Nov 2025
➡️ https://t.co/zH9zctgR5K pic.twitter.com/ktjgEOWtH9

— The Tower of London (@TowerOfLondon) May 2, 2025

Many readers will remember the original poppy display at the Tower in 2014.

More from Sky News.

Four days of celebrations have been organised by the government for this year’s anniversary, which will run from Monday 5 May to Thursday 8 May.

Planned events include a military procession and flypast in central London and 2,500 beacons being lit across the UK.

Below, RAF aircraft rehearsing earlier this week for Monday’s flypast.

This is 99-year-old RAF veteran Dennis Bishop, as he toured an aircraft at RAF Brize Norton this week.

The iconic big screens at Piccadilly Circus feature portraits and life lessons from Second World War veterans.

Here you see Members of the Household Cavalry at Hyde Park on Tuesday for the annual Major General’s inspection ahead of VE Day 80 and Trooping the Colour.