Princess Charlotte turns seven today – Yes, seven! Where did the time go? – and the special occasion has been marked by the release of two previously unseen birthday portraits, taken by her mother the Duchess of Cambridge.

"Seven tomorrow!" the caption on the photos, which was shared to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Instagram account yesterday, said. In the snaps, Charlotte looks as grown up as ever as she cuddles with the Cambridge family dog in what appears to be a field of bluebells.

Understandably, the series of stunning photos garnered a lot of attention from royal fans, totting up nearly a million likes in the first few hours. Plenty of well wishes for the just-turned-seven-year-old could be seen in the comments section, as well as one recurring comment that pointed out how similar the Princess looks to her father, Prince William.

"William’s mini-me", one royal fan wrote in the comments section, racking up over 2.5k likes in agreement. "I usually think she looks like the Queen but in this first one she resembles her dad", said another royal follower, with a third writing: "She looks soo like William!!"

Another person commented, "Daddy's twin", as someone else put: "She is the double of William!"

Charlotte's birthday comes just weeks after her younger brother Prince Louis celebrated his fourth birthday, also marking the occasion with some special portraits taken by the Duchess. And clearly the royal genes are *very* strong, as plenty of royal fans also noted how much the little royal looks like his siblings.

Everyone's clicking on...

As for who else in the family shares the similarity, we may soon get a glimpse – given that Archie Harrison turns three later this month. Although the little royal's parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have traditionally kept the lives of their children relatively private, it's possible that the pair may release a snap to mark their son's third birthday.

Happy birthday Charlotte! ❤️

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Jade Biggs
Freelance Writer
Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK's freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.