Princess Charlotte turns 4: Sweet new birthday photos released

Princess Charlotte's 4th birthday was marked with a series of cute photos. Photo / AP

Princess Charlotte's fourth birthday has been marked by the release of three pictures taken by her doting mother - and the young royal is growing up fast.

In a floral blue dress and a grin from ear-to-ear, Charlotte, who is fourth in line to the throne, looks as pretty as a petal as she sits crossed legged on a patch of grass at the palace.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share three new photographs of Princess Charlotte ahead of her fourth birthday. The photographs were taken in April by The Duchess at Kensington Palace and at their home in Norfolk.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2019 at 2:30pm PDT

The shots were taken by her mum, keen amateur snapper Kate, 37 - who has lifetime honorary membership of the Royal Photographic Society - at both Kensington Palace and the family's Norfolk home of Anmer Hall, earlier this month.

In the adorable pictures, Charlotte can be seen running and smiling as she holds a flower and sits on a fence while beaming at the camera.

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Happy Birthday Princess Charlotte! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share three new photographs of Princess Charlotte ahead of her fourth birthday. The photographs were taken in April by The Duchess at Kensington Palace and at their home in Norfolk.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2019 at 2:31pm PDT

In the first picture Charlotte, who turns four on Thursday, can be seen taking advantage of some of the unseasonably warm spring weather in a blue floral dress with a Peter Pan collar, the same one she wore to go and see her little brother, Prince Louis, in hospital for the first time last year.

Kate loves dressing her daughter in blue - it has featured in many of her official portraits - and Charlotte is wearing her hair pushed back off her head in a blue bow with navy Hampton canvas plum shoes,from her favourite children's High Street store, Trotters.

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Thank you for the lovely messages for Princess Charlotte’s fourth birthday! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share three new photographs of Princess Charlotte ahead of her fourth birthday. The photographs were taken in April by The Duchess at Kensington Palace and at their home in Norfolk.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2019 at 2:31pm PDT

The shot was captured by Kate when she and her family returned to Kensington Palace last month after their Easter break and shows a bank of wildflowers in the background.

The other two pictures were taken by the Duchess as part of a set at Anmer Hall, on the same day that she and her elder brother, Prince George, five were seen attending the Burnham Horse Trials with their cousin, Mia Tindall, five.