At just three years old, Princess Charlotte is already showing incredible poise and confidence
– traits that her great-grandmother the Queen is known for. Childhood photos of the
monarch display an uncanny resemblance between the two royals. But as well as their physical
likeness, Charlotte and her Gan-Gan share the same passions and hobbies. Let's take
a look at how Prince William and Kate's daughter is taking after Her Majesty.
Physical appearance. Many royal watchers may argue that Princess
Charlotte looks like her dad William, but Charlotte appears to be a mini-me of the Queen.
Looking back at old photos of the monarch as a child, it's clear that Charlotte shares
the same distinctive eyes as the Queen, from the shape and colour down to the arch of their
eyebrows. Early photos of the Queen show that she sported
a similar style to that worn by Princess Charlotte, with their bobbed hair styled to the side
and clipped back away from the eyes. Charlotte also has a similar colour hair to the monarch;
while her brother Prince George has fair hair, hers is a light brown shade.
Love of horses The Queen is known for her love of all things
horses, and even in her 92nd year, the monarch still enjoys a spot of horse riding in the
grounds of her Windsor Castle home. Every year she also indulges her passion and attends
Royal Ascot and the Royal Windsor Horse Show, to watch a series of events from races to
show-jumping. While the Queen had her first riding lesson
when she was three years old, little Charlotte started a bit earlier, with her mum Kate revealing
to equestrian champion Natasha Baker that her daughter is already learning the sport.
"The Duchess said Charlotte is really enjoying her riding which is great to hear," Natasha
said after speaking to Kate at a reception in Buckingham Palace. "And I said we may see
her here on a line-up in 20 years' time. She emphasised that Charlotte has this passion
for horses and although she doesn't echo it, she'll do her best to champion and encourage
it." For her first day at Willcocks Nursery School
in Kensington last year, Princess Charlotte also wore a Cath Kidston backpack that featured
a horse print.
Love of dogs. Her Majesty's corgis have been keeping her
in good canine company for years. The royal received her first corgi, Susan, when she
was 18, and even took the little pooch on her honeymoon with Prince Philip. She grew
up surrounded by corgis as a young girl and has owned more than 30 dogs since 1945. Her
pets have become an iconic part of the royal household; they even joined Her Majesty in
a special portrait released for her 90th birthday. Like her great-grandmother, Princess Charlotte
is also an animal lover and the proud owner of the Cambridges' pet dog, Lupo. During the
family's royal tour of Canada in 2016, Charlotte was particularly taken by a large dog named
Moose while at a children's tea party. The youngster had a whale of a time bouncing up
and down on the golden retriever and poodle cross – leading many to wonder whether Lupo
gets the same treatment at home!
Love of football. The Queen is said to be a football fan and
a secret supporter of Arsenal. Footballer Cesc Fabregas revealed that the monarch told
him she is "a fan" during a Buckingham Palace reception, while Prince Harry has previously
said that most of the royal family are Arsenal supporters.
The Queen is said to have inherited the footie bug from her mum and it seems Charlotte is
also following suit, from her Gan-Gan and her football-mad father Prince William. The
Duke has revealed that Charlotte is "showing more aptitude" for the sport than her big
brother Prince George. During a visit to the National Football Museum,
William told England women's team captain Steph Houghton: "George is sort of getting
into it slowly, but Charlotte is showing more aptitude." The royal children have also been
spotted playing football in the gardens of their home, Kensington Palace.
Perfect royal wave From her public appearances, it's clear that
Charlotte has already mastered the art of the royal wave, having learnt from the best.
In June 2018, she sweetly copied her Gan-Gan as she waved from the balcony of Buckingham
Palace during the family's Trooping the Colour celebrations. Charlotte was spotted looking
over at the 92-year-old monarch and, not missing a beat, copied Her Majesty to perfection.