Kate Middleton breaks tradition again by releasing Princess Charlotte’s birthday photo late – after delaying snap of Prince Louis

Princess Charlotte turned nine today, and fans around the world who were eagerly awaiting a new photo of the young royal had to wait a little longer than they had hoped for a photo of the birthday girl.

Today, Kate and William broke with tradition for the second time in weeks by delaying the publication of her birthday portrait until late morning on the big day.

Kensington Palace normally releases portraits of the Welsh children at midnight to celebrate their birthdays, but Charlotte’s photo, which was taken by her mother, was held back.

Mother-of-three Kate, who is undergoing cancer treatment, also delayed the release of a photo of her youngest son, Prince Louis, last month to mark his sixth birthday, with the image not appearing until the afternoon.

The Mail’s Rebecca English revealed that the couple had initially decided not to release a photo of Louis at all, given their recent calls for privacy at such an ‘unprecedented’ time for their family, but changed their minds as they wanted to thank fans for their kindness wishes Prince Louis.

And speaking to The Express, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams added that once they decided to release a photo, there were probably a lot of discussions about the best approach, given the furor over Kate’s edited Mother’s Day photo.

Overall, Richard said the timing “could emphasize Kate’s need for time, space and privacy.”

He described the ‘annoyed’ issue of her Mother’s Day portrait, describing the response as a ‘very embarrassing slight’.

He added that not rushing a birthday photo of Louis could also “highlight her need for time, space and privacy, which she so movingly expressed” in the video message revealing she has cancer.

Earlier this year, the Princess of Wales explained how the cancer cells were discovered as she underwent surgery for another condition in January.

She explained that she hadn’t talked about it before because she wanted time to “explain everything” to George, Charlotte and Louis and assure them, “I’ll be fine.”

In March, royal fans went into meltdown after the Associated Press issued a kill notice on a photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children that was released for Mother’s Day.

It was the first official photo published of Kate after she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

That evening, the Associated Press became the first agency to “destroy” the photo due to an “inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

Although AP said there was no suggestion the photo was fake, it withdrew the photo because closer inspection revealed that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet the agency’s photo standards.

The next day, the Princess of Wales admitted that she had edited the Mother’s Day photo herself and apologized for “any confusion” this had caused.

A statement from the Princess of Wales said: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing.

“I wanted to apologize for any confusion the family photo we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone who celebrated had a happy Mother’s Day. C’

Two weeks later, the Princess of Wales announced she was battling cancer – amid mounting pressure on the palace to comment on her condition.

It is believed that the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis on March 22, as this was the day George, Charlotte and Louis left Lambrook School in Bracknell for their Easter holidays.

The announcement may have been timed so that her children did not immediately face questions on the playground after the news became public.

The family are said to have spent the Easter holidays together as they adjusted to Kate’s diagnosis, which was discovered during post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery.

In the emotional message, which was filmed in Windsor, Kate revealed that the news had come as a “huge shock” and that she and William have “done everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family ‘.

From a bench surrounded by daffodils and spring blossoms, she said: ‘It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that suits them, and to reassure them that I am doing well.

“As I told them; I am doing well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirit.

‘Having William by my side is also a great source of comfort and reassurance. As does the love, support and kindness shown by so many of you. It means so much to both of us.”

Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing elective surgery at the London Clinic in January.

The insider also claimed to PEOPLE magazine that Kate and William are also prioritizing family time because “having fun together when they can is really important.”

She explained: “In January I had major abdominal surgery in London and at the time my condition was thought to be non-cancerous,” she said.

‘The operation was successful. However, tests after the surgery revealed that cancer was present.

‘My medical team therefore recommended that I undergo preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.’

The announcement sent shockwaves around the world and came after weeks of speculation – and wild conspiracy theories – about her health. It also creates a new crisis for the royal family at a time when King Charles is also battling cancer. In January, Sarah, Duchess of York, was diagnosed with skin cancer, just six months after being treated for breast cancer.

However, this week will hopefully be a quiet relief for Kate, who has previously discussed how much she loves her children’s birthdays.

The royal has previously said that she has been known to stay up late the night before her children’s birthdays to make a homemade cake for their special day.

In 2019, during the one-off special A Berry Royal Christmas, she told Mary Berry: ‘I love making the cake.

“It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up until midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and frosting and I make way too much, but I love it.”

The Waleses planned to release a photo for Louis’ birthday despite outrage over the doctored family photo released by Kensington Palace on Mother’s Day, sources close to the family said last month.

However, the photo of the radiant young prince has finally been released, with the report wishing him a very happy birthday.

The photo was taken by his mother, the Princess of Wales, who often photographs her children’s birthday portraits.

The caption reads: ‘Happy 6th birthday, Prince Louis! Thank you for all the kind wishes today.”

As the beaming prince looks into the camera, he lies on his stomach and looks mature with his dark brown hair on the side and a neat checked shirt.

He appears to be wearing dark pants and is lying on a fleece blanket.

The Waleses have released a new photo of Charlotte every year to mark her birthday.

Last year, Charlotte was pictured cuddling up to the family’s black cocker spaniel Orla, recreating her seventh birthday portrait.

The birthday girl dressed in a £23 blue and white striped jumper from Boden, a white button-up blouse and blue jeans.

Happy and relaxed in front of the camera, Charlotte appears to be lying in a meadow for her annual birthday portrait.

Although the couple have not revealed exactly where the photo was taken, it appears that the setting is very similar to previous family portraits, which were taken in the grounds of Amner Hall in Norfolk.

The photo was taken by photographer Millie Pilkington, who Kate and William also used for Prince Louis’ fifth birthday portrait.

For her sixth birthday, Charlotte wore a floral Rachel Riley summer dress and the brightest smile while Kate also captured some of her naughtiness. Similar traits are shared by the women on the mother’s side of the family.