Kate Middleton is daughter Princess Charlotte’s double in unearthed baby photo

the Princess of Wales celebrated her 43rd birthday on Thursday causing royal fans to look back at her life thus far. 

An unearthed photo of Prince William‘s wife as a baby resurfaced and royal followers were surprised by how similar Kate looked to her daughter Princess Charlotte who is now nine.

© Kensington Palace

A young Kate, who was dressed in a cute blue knitted cardigan, was held by her mother Carole Middleton who sported a black jumper over a white shirt. The mother-daughter pair seemed to be in the baby’s nursery at their home in Berkshire. 

An uncanny likeness

Princess Charlotte was just hours old when she was shown to the world as William and Kate exited St. Mary’s Hospital for the traditional royal photocall.

with baby Charlotte” fetchpriority=”auto” class=”image im-Z2Vp”/>© Getty

The doting mother looked radiant in a yellow floral mid-length dress holding the new addition to the royal family who was swaddled in a crochet blanket and wearing a matching bonnet.

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Royal fans have continued to point out the likeness between Kate and her daughter. More recently, the royal mother-daughter duo headed out together on Christmas Day 2024 wearing coordinating forest green outfits.

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Charlotte has also inherited Kate’s long hair with a natural ‘bronde’ hue. For the festive occasion, the young royal even wore a bow – her mother’s go-to accessory of 2024.

Kate’s early life

The princess grew up in Berkshire, living in a two-bedroom cottage in Bradfield Southend until the age of 13 when the Middletons moved to Oak Acre, a five-bedroom home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. 

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It was this property that Kate returned to during the holidays when she was a student alongside her then-boyfriend Prince William at the University of St. Andrews.

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Kate also spent two years between 1984 and 1986 living in Jordan as a result of her father Michael Middleton’s work for British Airways.

© Shutterstock / The Middleton Family

In 2012, the Middletons moved from Oak Acre to Bucklebury Manor, a far grander home. As a child, Kate was a conscientious schoolgirl who enjoyed sports, particularly swimming. She joined the local Brownies with her sister Pippa in 1990 and has since been described by her ex-Brownie pack leader as “quite easygoing”. 

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“I had a very happy childhood. It was great fun and I’m very lucky I come from a very strong family,” Kate told Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast host Giovanna Fletcher in 2020.

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DISCOVER: Princess Kate’s incredible birthday tradition she’s likely to pass down to Princess Charlotte 

“My parents were hugely dedicated. I really appreciate now as a parent how much they sacrificed for us. They came to every sports match, they’d be the ones on the sideline shouting, and we’d always have our family holidays together.”