A new picture of Princess Charlotte marking her ninth birthday has been released by Kensington Palace.

Posting the image on social media, the palace said: "Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte! Thank you for all of the kind messages today." The photo was taken by the Princess of Wales. A new photo of her younger brother, Prince Louis, was also released through social media just over a week ago.

The image, also taken by the Princess of Wales, was shared on 23 April to mark the young royal's sixth birthday. Prince George, William and Kate's eldest child and the second in line to the throne after his father, will turn 11 on 22 July.

The past few months have been an eventful period for the family after Kate and King Charles were both diagnosed with cancer. The future queen announced in an Instagram video message in March she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.

Third in line to the throne Charlotte attends the co-educational private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire and loves dancing, especially ballet and tap. She has a reputation for being feisty compared with her older brother George and the Princess of Wales has described Charlotte as "the one in charge".

Charlotte owes her middle names, Elizabeth and Diana, to the late Queen and Charlotte's grandmother, Princess Diana..