Princess Charlotte: Best of 2020
Despite the Royal Family's inability to participate in as many public engagements and events this year due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Princess Charlotte, along with her siblings, were seen more this year than perhaps any other. Princess Charlotte officially turned five this year and was able to spend her birthday with her family in Norfolk, where they spent most of lockdown. Once restrictions were lifted and school began again in person this fall (Princess Charlotte's second year at Thomas Battersea) the family returned to London. They are now spending the holidays (and the U.K.'s second lockdown) back in Norfolk and their return to London will be dependent on whether or not schools reopen after the Christmas Holiday. All of the events Princess Charlotte partook in were done in a private capacity with photos or videos being released afterwards but it was certainly a delight for fans to see the Cambridge children so often this year. Here were my favorite moments with Princess Charlotte in 2020.
10. Cambridge Christmas Card
I have absolutely adored the family's coordinated nature themed christmas cards the past several years but this was definitely an all time favorite. With both a mix of formality (the impeccable coordination and the skill involved in getting three kids smiling at the camera at once) and the informal (casual clothes and a rustic background) it struck a perfect balance. My favorite part was how much Charlotte looks like her father and grandmother, Princess Diana, as she continues to grow.
9. Volunteering with the family during Lockdown
While both of her parents are full time working royals and therefore were on video calls, out in the community supporting small businesses, and volunteering at local charities, Princess Charlotte also lent a hand during the initial lockdown. Her fifth birthday photos were taken by her mother, The Duchess of Cambridge, when the volunteered delivering food parcels in Norfolk, where they spent the first U.K. Lockdown. She seemed to enjoy helping out as she was actively loading and unloading parcels as well as hand delivering them to neighbors in a photo released later on in the year.
8. Princess Charlotte Homeschooling
While there weren't any photos or videos of how the Cambridge kids actually handled homeschooling, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared small tidbits with the public on various calls about how the kids were adjusting. A personal favorite was the revelation that Prince George always wants to do the assignments that Princess Charlotte is assigned. Two years her senior, Prince George's curriculum would be a bit different (and perhaps more difficult) than Princess Charlotte who was attending her first year at Thomas Battersea when lockdown was announced.
7. Meeting David Attenborough at Kensington Palace
There have been several partnerships between Sir David Attenborough and the Royal Family through the years and this year saw them come together yet again. The Duke of Cambridge revealed last year that the kids were huge fans of the naturalist during the naming of the R.S.S. Sir David Attenborough and they finally were able to meet him this summer. Attenborough visited the family at Kensington Palace ahead of the launch of the new Earthshot Prize as well as the release of his documentary. Charlotte looked to be in absolute awe of the esteemed documentarian in what was sure to be a memorable visit.
6. Fathers Day Family Portraits
The Duchess of Cambridge has shown her skill with a camera through the years but this year she particularly shined. Fathers Day fell on the same day as Prince Williams birthday in 2020 and fans were given an extra special present for the day, a series of family photos of William with the kids in their garden in Norfolk. In them, Princess Charlotte is playing on the swing, tackling her brothers and father and generally having a wonderful time with the family outdoors. All three photos released were taken by her mother.
5. Charlottes love of Nature
We have heard before about how the Cambridge family enjoys lots of time outdoors but we got to see how much the kids enjoy it on several occasions this year. First, when Catherine spoke about a photo she had taken of Charlotte sniffing a bluebell during the Happy Mum Happy Baby Podcast. The photo was released following the podcast showing Charlotte crouching down to enjoy the flower. Another photo was released during Prince Williams documentary in the fall showing Charlotte busily helping plant flowers in the garden, unafraid to get her hands dirty. Finally, she shared her love of spiders (another favorite moment of mine in 2020) when asking questions to David Attenborough.
4. Clapping for Carers
The first time we saw the Cambridge kids this year came as their parents filmed them clapping for carers and posted in on social media. The Clap for Carers campaign was held in the U.K. every Thursday of the spring to thank healthcare and frontline workers for their unrelenting efforts during the first wave of Covid. Later on, the entire family partook in Clap for Carers from their home in Norfolk which was released as part of the Big Night In. Though they are young, the Cambridge kids seemed enthusiastic about the campaign and did a wonderful job clapping on cue.
3. The National Lottery’s Pantoland at the London Palladium
In a surprise appearance this December, William and Catherine brought George, Charlotte and Louis to the London Palladium for a Pantomime performance. They walked the red carpet as a family before enjoying the show, Charlotte perhaps being the most animated of the group. She was seen several times reacting to the performance, which she seemed to absolutely love, while her little brother sat in their mother's lap and George enjoyed it from his own seat.
2. 5th Birthday Portraits
Birthday portraits always make my list for the Princess Charlotte and this year was no different. Catherine put a lot of thought into how to honor everything that was happening at the time while also celebrating her children's birthdays this year and the results were amazing. While Prince Louis was photographed doing rainbow crafts, Princess Charlotte's Portraits were taken while the family volunteered delivering parcels. Charlotte seems to be a natural helper and she seemed happy to be volunteering, perhaps giving a glimpse of what her interests might be a few decades down the road.
1. Questions for David Attenborough
George, Charlotte and Louis all asked questions of Sir David Attenborough as part of a video where Attenborough answered questions about nature for kids. While much attention was placed on Prince Louis adorable pronunciation of animal ("amimal"), Princess Charlotte revealed her love of Spiders, asking if Sir David liked them too (he does). We have only heard the Cambridge kids speak a few times through the years as most appearances or either private or have little to no interaction with the public at large so I absolutely adored this video and proceeded to watch it dozens of times.