Royal watchers have dubbed Princess Charlotte the “double” of her father Prince William in a recent video of the couple.
The father, 41, and daughter, eight, royal duo recently teamed up to make a video of them congratulating the Lionesses in the World Cup final, where they face Spain.
In the clip, which was posted to the Prince and Princess of Wales’s social media account, William sits on a sofa next to Charlotte, who is holding a soccer ball.
The heir to the throne says: ‘Lionesses, I want to wish you all the best of luck for tomorrow.
“We’re sorry we can’t be there in person, but we’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished and the millions you’ve inspired here and around the world.
Prince William and Princess Charlotte (both pictured) appeared together in a photo to congratulate the Lionesses in the World Cup final against Spain
Viewers of Prince William and Princess Charlotte’s video also noted that the eight-year-old princess is ‘growing up so fast’
“So go out tomorrow and really enjoy yourself.”
A beaming Charlotte, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, added, “Good luck Lionesses!”
For many viewers of the video, the physical resemblance between the Prince of Wales and his daughter is striking.
A number of people took to social media to comment on how similar the pair look.
One wrote: ‘Double her father’s.’
Another agreed, adding, “Princess Charlotte is identical to her father.”
In a similar vein, another social media user wrote, “The beautiful Princess Charlotte is growing up so fast! She looks so much like her daddy!’
And another said, ‘William and his minime send love to the lionesses. Come on England!’
Prince William apologized in his video message with Princess Charlotte for not attending the Women’s World Cup final to cheer on the Lionesses
The Prince has come under fire for his decision not to travel to Australia to attend the match in person.
Kensington Palace sources cited several reasons why the Prince decided to watch the match at home in Anmer Hall, Norfolk, instead.
One is the carbon footprint, especially since he will be traveling to the US next month to support his Earthshot green campaign. It was also regarded as not a diplomatically sound move – both on a family and a political level.
William’s father Charles has still not visited Australia as king, a country where he is also a monarch, and it is believed that a short visit from his son would be diplomatically unwise.
A source added: “It was a balanced decision. The Prince of Wales hasn’t visited since 2014, so he wishes his next trip to Australia would be a substantial one. He met them (the Lionesses) in St George’s Park before they flew out and supported them throughout the tournament by sending personal messages of good luck to the manager and team.’
Following the Lioness’ semi-final victory over the Australian team, members of the royal family congratulated the squad on social media
Despite the video’s release, the decision not to travel to watch the game has drawn criticism for several reasons, with some fans questioning whether the same decision would have been made had the men’s team been in the finals.
Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, told MailOnline: “It is completely ridiculous that England were not and still are not ready to celebrate the Women’s World Cup final.
“The Football Association’s president, Prince William, is not bothering to attend, licensing laws have not been relaxed, there will be no screen in Trafalgar Square and no word of a big celebration if they win. .
“This last-minute struggle to show support for the Lionesses by our leaders is not only embarrassing, it shows how little they think about women’s sports.
“You can guarantee that the men’s football team would not be treated with such contempt and contempt in any way.”
Gerry Sutcliffe, who was Gordon Brown’s minister of sport between 2007 and 2010, told the Telegraph: ‘I think the Prince of Wales should be there.
While Prince William was criticized for not attending the Australian match, Spain’s Queen Letizia and her daughter Sofia both made the trip (pictured during the final)
Queen Letizia looked like she meant it as she headed to the final in a vibrant, chic two-piece suit
The Spanish royals donned red – the color of their national team – when they attended the match in Sydney
“I know it’s a long road and I’m sure he has family obligations, but this is a unique moment, it’s the World Cup final.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will also be absent due to “existing government business commitments” but will “cheer on the lionesses from Yorkshire,” a source said.
But Labor MP Kate Osborne told Times Radio: “We all know that if this was the men’s final, Sunak and FA president Prince William would be there, however long the flight to Australia is.”
Further highlighting Prince William’s absence is the presence of Spain’s Queen Letizia and her daughter Sofia, who have both traveled to Sydney to attend the final.
The royals were dressed in red (the Spanish team is also known as the Rojas, meaning red) as they cheered the women’s team from the stands.