Photo released to mark Princess Charlotte 9th birthday

The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday.

In the photograph taken in the past few days by her mother Kate, Charlotte, the couple's second child, is pictured smiling happily in the garden of their home in Windsor.

"Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!" said a message posted on the couple's X account on Thursday.

"Thank you for all of the kind messages today."

It has become tradition for Kensington Palace to release pictures taken by Kate, a keen amateur photographer, to mark birthdays and other family occasions.

However, a picture issued this year on Mother's Day in March was withdrawn by a number of news organisations, including Reuters, because it had been edited, something for which Kate later apologised.

That occurred shortly before the princess revealed she was having preventive chemotherapy after tests carried out after major abdominal surgery she underwent in January revealed that cancer had been present.

Heir to the throne William resumed official duties in April but Kate will only return to the public spotlight when her medical team say she is well enough to do so.

King Charles returned to public-facing engagements this week for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer in February.