Kensington Palace Shares New Video of Princess Charlotte on Her Birthday—With a Surprise Guest

A little over a week after Prince Louis celebrated his 8th birthday, his older sister, Princess Charlotte, feted her 11th birthday on May 2. To mark the occasion, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a new portrait and video montage of their only daughter. Everything seemed perfunctorily in line with a standard royal birthday post—but one unexpected guest caught my eye.

Kensington Palace released a video montage of the newly-minted tween dressed casually in a sweatshirt and jean shorts, sailing with her family and playing sports on the beach.

"Thank you for the lovely birthday messages for Princess Charlotte, 11 today!" her parents wrote in the caption.

All seemed normal, save for a special new addition. The Wales family has had a cocker spaniel, Orla, for five years. Per Town & Country, they adopted her as a puppy, in hopes she would be a companion for their dog, Lupo, who sadly passed away a few months after Orla arrived. Recently, they introduced a new member of their household: Otto, one of Orla's puppies. And Otto makes an appearance next to his mom as both are pet by the Princess while the boat they're in speeds over the water.

In addition to the Instagram Reel, the Prince and Princess of Wales also released a new portrait of Princess Charlotte. She wears jeans and a red and navy striped sweater with her hair cascading down her shoulders. (Is she taking after her mother's penchant for long, flowing locks?) Princess Charlotte grins widely as she stands amongst a cluster of what appear to be shasta daisies on a cloudy day.

"Wishing Charlotte a very happy 11th birthday!" her parents wrote in the caption. Here's to another year of keeping her brothers in line.