What to Know About Princess Charlotte

From Good Housekeeping

The world's press may have assembled outside of the Lindo Wing for the arrival of her baby brother, but Princess Charlotte of Cambridge sure knew how to steal the show. The new big sister offered her best royal wave to the cameras as she entered the hospital with dad Prince William, even turning around to give them one last parting shot.

The sweet gesture endeared her to both fans new and old. Seasoned royals watchers have long heard of Kate Middleton's daughter's adorable antics. The 2-year-old loves dancing, Peppa Pig cartoons, and just general sassiness. "She is the one in charge," the Duchess of Cambridge revealed recently to a fellow mom.

Born on May 2, 2015, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana weighed 8 pounds and 3 ounces - slightly less than both of her brothers. Similar to Prince George, she took on the title Her Royal Highness Princess of Cambridge, but only received the HRH because of a special decree. Previously, just the sons of the monarch's male-line grandchildren automatically inherited the honorific. However, Queen issued a special letters patent to include daughters of the Prince of Wales's eldest son ahead of her birth.

The princess's full name followed the royal tradition of honoring past relatives. Charlotte, the feminized version of Charles, alludes to her grandfather and the future king. It's also Aunt Pippa's middle name and similar to her maternal grandmother's moniker, Carole. Elizabeth obviously pays homage to great-grandma Queen Elizabeth II, but also mom Catherine Elizabeth Middleton. Finally, Diana was a sweet tribute to her late paternal grandmother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Coming up on her third birthday, Charlotte already attends preschool at Willcocks Nursery School, near the family home of Kensington Palace. While she's younger in age, she's not short in confidence. The Queen remarked this year that Charlotte looks after her older brother, not the other way round.

Due to the fact that she's a girl and a style icon, she also already has an estimated net worth higher than that of the future king. Her monetary value sits at approximately $3.8 billion, according to business valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance Group, while Prince George's remains closer to $3 billion.

She currently sits at fourth in line to the throne after grandfather Prince Charles, dad Prince William, and brother Prince George. In fact, she made history with the birth of the baby brother. While younger brothers previously outranked older sisters in the line of succession, legislation enacted in 2013 finally changed the sexist rule. The switch ensured the littlest prince couldn't take her spot. He instead replaced Prince Harry at fifth.

While it's unlikely she'll ever become the monarch, Charlotte still gets plenty of comparisons to the Queen. The mini-me could pass for her twin based on their baby photos!

Besides becoming a big sister, Princess Charlotte has a lot going on this spring. She already served as a flower girl at her Aunt Pippa's wedding on May 20, 2017, and she'll likely reprise the role almost exactly a year later. Royal experts believe she'll walk down the aisle as a bridesmaid for Meghan Markle's nuptials to Prince Harry. There's no doubt about it: She'll totally shine in St George's Chapel. Let's hope she brings back her adorable wave!

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