Princess Charlotte's 'Regal' Style Transformation, In Photos

Nearly every little girl dreams of being a princess, but very few can actually call themselves real royalty. That's why Princess Charlotte lives quite the charmed life, as the second child and first daughter of Prince William and Princess Kate. Born Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, her name is steeped with royal meaning — as Charlotte is the feminine version of her grandfather's name, King Charles III, and her middle names are after her late paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her late grandmother, Princess Diana. 

Not only does this young royal have a famous name and a fancy title, Princess Charlotte of Wales, but she is third in the line of succession to the British throne after her father and older brother, Prince George. She's also been a trendsetter since birth, when the blanket she was wrapped in as a newborn became a sensation.

Yahoo! reported that the blanket's maker, G.H. Hurt & Son, "received thousands of orders with production doubling overnight" following her very first public appearance. Now that she's 11 years old, the tween is showing off her own unique sense of style. We're taking a look back at the darling royal's style transformation over the years...

After selling out a blanket at birth, it's no surprise that Princess Charlotte's toddler fashion also made waves in her first few years. The adorable young royal is seen here wearing a sweet blue Liberty print dress while accompanying her parents on a royal tour in Germany in 2017. 

An eBay spokesperson later told Yahoo! that the young royal's frock caused searches for "Liberty Dress" to increase by six times the usual number. Murray Lambell, the vice president of trading at eBay, told the outlet, "It's the youngest generation of royals who really generate the must-have fashion items." 

When the royal family released a photo in honor of Princess Charlotte's second birthday, her look was equally trendsetting. In the photo, taken by her mother, Princess Kate, the toddler is sporting an adorable yellow John Lewis cardigan with sheep printed on it. The outerwear instantly sold out, showing Princess Charlotte's accidental power as an influencer. The Independent later reported that experts at Brand Finance, a company that determines brand valuation, predicted the royal "will be worth more than 3 billion pounds to the UK economy across her lifetime."

As Princess Charlotte grew, flower print frocks were a massive part of her daily fashion — usually in the form of short-sleeved ditsy floral designs. This one marked a perfect example, which Princess Charlotte wore to the King Power Royal Charity Polo Match back in July 2019. The pink Marie-Chantal dress paired perfectly with sandals for a casual, yet still sweet and regal, ensemble. 

A few months prior, she kicked off her fourth year in an equally sweet blue floral number in one of three photos shared by her family in honor of her birthday. Princess Charlotte was spotted in yet another sweet floral number later that month. The look made fashion headlines when Hello! posted photos from a visit to her mother, Princess Kate's RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden.

 The tot donned this darling Rachel Riley ditsy floral button-down dress for the occasion, a brand she would become known for wearing as she got older. That dress would go on to become the brand's second-highest-selling frock, with another dress worn by Princess Charlotte coming in first (but more on that later!). 

In December 2019, Princess Charlotte made her debut alongside big brother Prince George at the Sandringham Christmas Day service. It was the first year that parents Prince William and Princess Kate brought their little ones along to greet the public in their annual tradition, and Princess Charlotte stepped out in serious style. The little girl rocked this beautiful double-breasted Amaia coat in a Christmas-y dark green shade over top black tights and ballet flats. Mom Princess Kate donned a chic coat and a dark green hat that complemented Charlotte's adorable outerwear. 

The Sun had been buzzing about the potential for the young royals to join their famous parents prior to the event. A royal source told the outlet, "The royals walking to church on Christmas Day is a rite of passage and so William and Kate didn't want to expose their children too early, but they feel they're old enough now." 

Princess Charlotte and Prince George's appearance was contingent on one totally relatable childhood thing — their behavior. The source told The Sun that the kids would be in attendance "as long as they're both on good form on the day." It looks like the kids were minding their manners since they were on hand that day, with Princess Charlotte even making headlines for her perfect etiquette and curtsy to her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

By the time she was six, Princess Charlotte seemed to have a go-to designer, Rachel Riley. Though she wore the brand's adorable floral dresses before, the frock she wore in her sixth birthday portrait really made headlines. Princess Kate released a photo that showed the little princess sporting a pink and blue Rachel Riley design with puffy sleeves and a button-down front.

The dress was such a hit with royal watchers that it became the brand's fastest-selling item ever. Hello! reached out to the designer, who told the outlet they had no idea she would be wearing it in the portrait. Riley shared, "It was a delightful surprise. I wasn't expecting it at all... I became aware of the picture when my friends and family started sending me messages asking if the dress was one of ours!" Riley also revealed that the dress sold out in just 12 hours, explaining, "We had so many messages from customers asking if they could still order it, so we set up a pre-order system and it will be back in stock in a few weeks. It's our fastest selling royal item, ever!" This impressive performance is a perfect example of Princess Charlotte's incredible selling power. 

At King Charles Coronation in May 2023, Princess Charlotte's wardrobe took a much more elevated turn. It marked the first time the young royal donned a high-end designer, arriving in this white silk Alexander McQueen. The regal piece included stitched embroidery of a rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock to represent the four nations of the United Kingdom. Princess Kate was also clad in Alexander McQueen, which didn't surprise eagle-eyed royal fashion watchers. The designer also dressed Princess Kate on her wedding day and at many other special occasions. Both beauties sported silver leaf headdresses for an extra regal touch.

Princess Charlotte's more grown-up look was very fitting for her duties that day — keeping an eye on her younger brother, Prince Louis. The eight-year-old royal had to keep an eye on the younger prince, who turned five the previous month, during the very formal two-hour ceremony. 

Her father, Prince William, even made a joke the following day, telling a little girl in the crowd that Charlotte was exhausted keeping Prince Louis in line. "She's very tired after yesterday. She's having a quiet day at home. It was making sure her little brother behaved himself," William explained, according to Hello!. 

While Princess Charlotte may be sporting expensive designer clothes, she's taking a page out of her mom's fashion book and being very responsible about it. Just a month later at Trooping the Colour, fashion watchers noted that she already seemed to be "upcycling" the Alexander McQueen dress she wore to King Charles III's Coronation, much like Princess Kate has been known to do by rewearing previous looks. Princess Charlotte's white design looked pretty familiar, though it had a little update with cherry red detailing that turned it into a sailor-inspired confection. 

Children's wear designer Amaia Arrieta, who has dressed Princess Charlotte in the past, explained the upcycle theory to People, sharing, "It looks like the coronation dress. The way the skirt moves is exactly the same, but it looks like the sleeves were changed and the collar and belt added. It fitted her perfectly and it was just weeks ago, so it makes sense." 

Overall, Arrieta only had lovely things to say about the young royal and her recent public appearances, exclaiming, "She is amazing! She has so much grace and is so elegant — she is a star!"

Imagine being eight and having the power to sell out a dress simply by stepping out in it. So is the life of Princess Charlotte, whose first appearance at Wimbledon in July 2023 showed off her style star power. The young princess took in a match with her parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, and her brother Prince George, that month, and proved to be the most influential eight-year-old on the planet when her floral dress sold out by that evening, according to Daily Mail. 

The smoked-blue floral design by Spanish brand Friki made a strong impression, as did her sunglasses. Unfortunately for fans, the peach shades by brand Leosun were an old style no longer in production, but the outlet reported that the brand saw a 450% increase in web traffic after Princess Charlotte's Wimbledon appearance.

What did you wear to the last concert you attended? When you're an eight-year-old princess, you can't show up in a basic concert tee. At the Coronation Concert following her grandparents, King Charles and Queen Camilla's crowning ceremony, Princess Charlotte arrived in a sweet ruffled cream confection. The dress, which featured black ruffled embroidery and a sweet bow detail at the neckline, was by the fashion brand Self-Portrait, one that her mother, Princess Kate, wears often.

Despite a more mature look, Princess Charlotte showed her age when it came to her favorite moments of the night. People reported that Princess Charlotte and her brother, Prince George, were delighted by an appearance by Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. The outlet also revealed that the young royal was singing along to Katy Perry's performance of "Roar." 

Princess Charlotte turned nine in 2024, and her style slowly transitioned from a florals and frills to a more polished and mature aesthetic. This was on full display that summer when she got to live the dream of most nine-year-old girls around the world and not only attend Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, but took a selfie with the pop star. Swift posted this group photo on her Instagram with a birthday shoutout to Prince William that read, "Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start." The future King of England can be seen smiling next to the pop star's then-boyfriend, Travis Kelce, with his oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, smiling alongside the crew. 

In this star-powered selfie, Princess Charlotte is clearly beaming next to her big brother Prince George. Her more tween style is also on display, as the young royal is seen rocking a sparkly sequined dress and tiny braids.

Princess Charlotte's new style tour continued the following month. In 2024, Princess Charlotte attended Wimbledon alongside her mother, Princess Kate, swapping her usual florals for a sweet navy and white polka dot frock by Guess. The young princess added chic pink Ray Ban sunglasses and completed her ensemble with ballet flats by Papouelli, a favorite shoe brand of the royal children. 

Nicole Robinson, the co-founder of Papouelli, spoke to People about Princess Charlotte's style following the event. She was delighted that the princess wore shoes from the brand, and actually gave major props to the princess's mom, Princess Kate, for the impeccable styling, sharing, "The Princess of Wales dresses Charlotte so beautifully. She always looks immaculately turned out, and I'm sure as she gets older that will continue to be the case. She always gets it spot on."

While Princess Kate typically dressed her children in red, white, and blue for Trooping of the Colour ceremonies in the past, 2025 marked a departure that timed with Princess Charlotte's mature style. That year, the 10-year-old made a major departure from her usual nautical dresses, opting instead for this polished aquamarine-hued frock. The pale blue shade complemented the color of her mother's brighter aquamarine Catherine Walker coat.

Princess Charlotte's sweet design was actually custom-made by one of her mother's favorite designers, Sarah Burton. It included white detailing at the neckline and waist, which paired perfectly with her white Papouelli ballet flats. Completing her look? A sentimental item that also signaled a more mature turn for her style — a tiny diamond horseshoe brooch. The accessory was given to Princess Charlotte by her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, but the piece was originally owned by the Queen Mother. Town and Country reported she was first seen wearing it in 1929.

Every stylish royal has a go-to designer, so it's no surprise that 10-year-old Princess Charlotte seems to be finding her own as a tween. Just a month after tapping Sarah Burton for a custom design at the Trooping the Colour ceremony, the princess had the designer create something for her 2025 Wimbledon appearance. Her choice? This sweet ivory design has navy ruffled detailing down the bodice. She finished off her chic, more mature ensemble with her go-to shoes — a pair of cream Papouelli ballet flats.

InStyle reported that Princess Charlotte stole the show during her appearance at the iconic tennis tournament alongside her famous parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, and her brother, Prince George. She made headlines for her spirited expressions, cute giggles, and whispers she shared with her mom as they watched the men's finals. This appearance marked the third time Princess Charlotte attended the event.

As Princess Charlotte gets older, she continues to emulate her stylish mom, Princess Kate's impeccable fashion sense. While stepping out for the family's annual walkabout at Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2025, the beauty wore a chic tan coat with chocolate brown velvet accents by Catherine Walker. Chocolate brown tights, matching Tory Burch ballet flats, and an oversized bow in her hair completed this polished outfit. 

Royal fashion watchers instantly compared Princess Charlotte's coat, made by one of Princess Kate's favorite coat makers, to one that her mother wore in 2011. That year, Princess Kate accompanied her future husband, Prince William, to the dedication of a new RNLI lifeboat, while wearing a very similar coat, this one by the designer Katherine Hooker.

Just like her mom, Princess Kate, Princess Charlotte recognizes the importance of rewearing her designer pieces. Just a few months after wearing this tan Catherine Walker coat with chocolate brown velvet accents on Christmas Day, she chose to wear it again while stepping out with her family for Easter service. Princess Charlotte even paired the stylish coat, made by one of her mother's go-to coat designers, with the same Tory Burch flats she wore on Christmas. 

One big difference from the prior holiday? This time, Princess Charlotte rocked a pale blue Self Portrait dress underneath, which sweetly matched the ties worn by her older and younger brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis. We're hoping this trend of upcycling her most beautiful pieces continues as the pretty princess enters her teen years!