Royal insiders suggest that Princess Kate and Prince William are adopting a “new approach” with Princess Charlotte.

On Tuesday, the Prince and Princess of Wales unveiled a new portrait of Prince Louis to celebrate his sixth birthday.

However, they diverged from tradition by refraining from releasing the image to the media the night before, opting instead to bypass all photo agencies and share it directly on their own social media platforms.

This decision may have been influenced by the controversy surrounding Princess Kate last month on Mother’s Day, when she acknowledged “adjusting” their latest family photo.

This photo was subsequently withdrawn by major international photo agencies such as Getty Images, the Press Association, and Reuters. Kate, 42, later issued an apology on social media for any “confusion” caused by the digital alterations.

Typically, Kate and Prince William have adhered to the tradition of sharing new photos of their children with the media on the eve of their birthdays.

However, insiders claimed to The Times that the “new procedure” of posting directly on their social media channels will continue next month for Princess Charlotte’s birthday.

Charlotte, the middle child of the Prince and Princess of Wales, will turn nine on May 2.

Meanwhile, their eldest child and heir to the throne, Prince George, will turn 11 on July 22.

If Kate and William continue their “new procedure with Charlotte”, it is likely this will occur with George too.

It is understood that the Wales family were debating when to release Prince Louis’ birthday picture as Kate is currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Princess Kate is focusing on her recovery before making a return to royal duties.