A royal expert has highlighted how Princess Charlotte is 'taking care' of her mother Kate Middleton since she began treatment for cancer - but while it's a sweet gesture, is the youngster taking on this ‘responsibility’ due to eldest daughter syndrome?
There's no question that life for the Wales family right now is difficult, with Prince William trying to balance his royal duties within The Firm with looking after his young family while Kate Middleton undergoes chemotherapy, something she has said has left her having both 'good days' and 'bad.'
Of course, they have the children's nanny on hand, whose strict playtime rule is making sure they get out and let off steam, and the youngsters have been treated to some brilliant kid-friendly outings to keep their spirits up, not least Prince George and Charlotte's night out at a Taylor Swift concert last week. But one royal expert has revealed that Princess Charlotte still seems to be taking on a lot of responsibility when it comes to looking after her mum throughout her treatment.
"I think that Charlotte is really taking care of her mum," royal expert and author Ingrid Seward told HELLO! Magazine after analysing Kate and Charlotte's appearance at King Charles's Birthday parade earlier this month.
"It was quite sweet the way she stood in front of her and they kept chatting. Charlotte seems to be very full of admiration for her mother, which I think is a lovely thing, too."
Royal photographer Samir Hussein agreed with Seward, adding, "Princess Charlotte is very like her mother in her mannerisms and you can see she looks up to her a lot.
"She's really taken on that role to help keep them in check a little bit," he added. "She's definitely a little mini-mum taking on that responsibility as well, which is fun to see."
Of course it's natural for a child to want to care for the parent when they're struggling with their health, but we can't help but think that perhaps Charlotte in particular is taking on the responsibility of both caring for her mum and looking after her brothers as a 'mini-mum' for a different reason too.
Eldest daughter syndrome explains how eldest daughters, like Charlotte, tend to mature quicker than their siblings as they're encouraged, often subconsciously, to step in and help out their parents with bringing up other members of their family.
It largely manifests as a feeling of overwhelming responsibility for the child's family’s well-being, prompting them to take on responsibilities their younger, or male, siblings don't.
But while the shoe seems to fit Charlotte perfectly, it's also likely that she's taking on more responsibilities while her mum recovers as she simply shares a very close bond with her and wants to impress.
"Kate and Charlotte are great friends and I think to Kate, their bond is very precious," Seward explained. "The mother-daughter relationship is obviously particularly important to Kate because she has such a close relationship with her own mother, Carole Middleton.
"They are a very, very close family, which is something the late Queen really liked and thought would play into Kate's hands and the position that she was getting into. She had such a stable family and I think that's what Kate's trying to replicate."
In other royal news, the telling sign Prince George is growing into his role as a Royal has been revealed - and his future career plans have a sweet nod to uncle, Prince Harry. We also look at Kate Middleton's authoritative parenting tactics that keep her kids' behaviour up to impeccable standards. Plus, we reveal that, while Princess Diana left the bulk of her fortune to sons Prince William and Prince Harry, there’s one thing from her childhood they’ll never inherit and the real heir is surprising.
