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Royal fans on social media have spotted a humorous similarity between Princess Charlotte and her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II while at royal events.
Charlotte is the only daughter and middle child of Prince William and Kate Middleton—the Prince and Princess of Wales—and celebrated her eighth birthday on May 2.
The princess has been compared physically to her great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in social media posts over the past year with the latest identifying the similar way they both called for Prince William's attention during official engagements.
Archive footage of Charlotte attending her first solo royal engagement with her parents in 2022 has been cut together with footage of Queen Elizabeth during the 2016 Trooping the Colour festivities to create a viral video that was uploaded to TikTok by user the.royal.watcher.
Viewed nearly five million times since its posting on May 1, the video shows Charlotte tapping her father's leg to get his attention while official photographs were being taken, while Queen Elizabeth is shown making a similar gesture asking him to stand for a royal flypast over Buckingham Palace.
The clip has gained in excess of 153,000 likes and over 500 comments, many of which praise the young princess and highlight the similarities she shares with her late great-grandmother.
"Hahaha she tells him off in the same way," wrote one TikTok user of the video.
"She is very very much like her great grandmother," posted another, with a further comment reading: "The way William acts like a little boy in trouble 😂"
Queen Elizabeth is said to have been very fond of Charlotte, with Kate Middleton providing an insight into their relationship in 2016, just a year after the princess was born.
Speaking in the ITV network documentary Our Queen at 90, Kate revealed: "It's very special us having a new little girl to the family. Very lucky that George has got a little sister. The queen, she was really thrilled that it was a little girl and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington [Palace] she was one of our first visitors here."
"I think she's very fond of Charlotte," Kate continued, "always watching what she's up to. George is only two and a half and calls her 'gan-gan.' She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows, I think, her love for her family."
Charlotte's relationship with the queen was highlighted when she was included among the royal mourners at the monarch's state funeral in September 2022.
Elizabeth died at her Scottish home of Balmoral Castle on September 8 at the age of 96, having become Britain's longest reigning sovereign.
The bond shared between great-grandmother and great-granddaughter was also shared between the queen and her grandson, William.
When her death occurred William released an official tribute, thanking his grandmother for supporting him through his happiest and saddest days.
"On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute," his statement read. "So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign," he said in an official statement.
"I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.
"My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.
"She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.
"I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."
William will play a senior role in the coronation of his father on May 6. Though no official role for Charlotte has been announced, it is believed that she will attend the ceremony with her mother, as she and her siblings were photographed attending the official rehearsal for the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 3.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more