The late Queen's heartwarming reaction when she was told she was 'very like' great-granddaughter Charlotte

Princess Charlotte has often been compared to her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, over the years. 

The ten-year-old, who is the only daughter of Prince William And Kate, is always on her best behaviour and has much in common with the late Queen, and bears a close resemblance to her. 

Charlotte, who could one day be named the Princess Royal, has likely heard the comparisons many times. And Queen Elizabeth II herself had a very heartwarming reaction when she was told of the close resemblance, according to Hugo Vickers in his new biography, Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History. 

In the new book, Hugo recalls a visit the late monarch made to Scotland in 2019, including the time Nicola Sturgeon, then first minister of Scotland, spent a night at Balmoral on 16 September that year.

He writes: "Sturgeon made the perceptive remark that Princess Charlotte was very like the Queen. 'She lit up with a beaming smile, clearly thrilled that the resemblance had been noted.'"

Writing later, Hugo notes that Sturgeon claimed not to be a monarchist, but did admit: "The private time I spent with the Queen ranks as one of the great privileges of my life. It was clear from my first meeting that she was an extraordinary woman."

The new book has been released to mark 100 years since the Queen's birth on 21 April 1926. The late monarch passed away aged 96 in 2022 at Balmoral Castle. 

The times Charlotte has acted most like the Queen

Following King Charles's coronation in 2023, fans soon compared the young royal to Queen Elizabeth.

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One person wrote: "I've always said Princess Charlotte was the image of the Queen… it's in the look of determination," one commented at the time, while another added: "I always said it/ Little princess is her great grandmom's image."

Just like our beloved late Queen, Princess Charlotte has proven herself to be a stickler for royal etiquette. During her first public appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2016, the young royal charmed royal well-wishers with her adorable waving. She's already shown her leadership skills, keeping her brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis, in check at public events. 

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But she's known to have a giggle too – and Queen Elizabeth was also renowned for her witty sense of humour. Both royals adore sports, such as tennis and horse riding, and they both love animals – Charlotte has cocker spaniel Orla and a little puppy, while the late Queen was fond of her beloved corgis. 

Who else does Charlotte take after?

© Samir Hussein./WireImage

Of course, Charlotte also takes after her parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales. She's often been compared to dad Prince William, with fans previously saying they look like "twins", calling it "copy and paste". 

Like Kate, Charlotte has taken up playing the piano – joining her mother for a sweet duet at her Christmas concert – and they're both known to be fans of running.  

There are also lots of physical similarities between Charlotte and her late grandmother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in photos of the two at similar ages.