Princess Charlotte picked up a habit from her mother Kate Middleton, royal fans spot

Princess Charlotte known for her resemblance to her great-grandmother the Queen, but eagle-eyed royal fans have spotted a sweet gesture that the young Princess and her mother Kate Middleton have in common. 

During a video call last week, the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, was spotted reaching back to twirl her ponytail during a conversation with teachers about how they’ve coped with lockdown

Kate was chatting with staff from Ribbon Academy last Tuesday when she reached back and swirled her hair around her fingers, which was styled in a low ponytail. 

A fan account on Instagram noticed a similarity to Princess Charlotte’s mannerisms on her first day of school in September 2019.

Eagle-eyed royal fans have spotted a hair habit which Princess Charlotte picked up from her mother Kate Middleton, 39, as she twirled her ponytail while on a video call with teachers last week

Charlotte, now five, made the same gesture with her hair as she greeted the Thomas’s Battersea’s head Helen Haslem. 

Her hair was styled in a low ponytail as she arrived at school, accompanied by Kate and her father Princess William, 38, and her older brother Prince George, now seven. 

Kate is currently living at their Norfolk residence of Anmer Hall with Prince William and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, two. 

During the call, the royal praised the staff members for their hard work amid the Covid-19 crisis and urged them to continue to ‘look after themselves’. 

She said: ‘I wanted to say a massive thank you to teachers across the country for doing fantastic jobs. It’s been really hard work but please look after yourselves.’

A fan account on Instagram noticed a similarity to Princess Charlotte's first day of school in September 2019, as the young royal, five, fussed with her hair

A fan account on Instagram noticed a similarity to Princess Charlotte’s first day of school in September 2019, as the young royal, five, fussed with her hair

Kate has supported the annual Children’s Mental Health Week since it was launched in 2015 – to highlight the importance of children and young people’s mental health – by Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity of which she is royal patron. 

She spoke one-on-one with teachers from the school about the important work they have been doing during the pandemic to support children and their families, and thanked them for their efforts. 

During the call, Kate asked the teachers some quick fire questions and heard from Head Teacher Ashleigh Sheridan and teachers Hannah Rispin and Louise Tweedie about how children have been faring during the pandemic.

Meanwhile she also heard how Place2Be supports the wellbeing of the whole school community, including teachers.

Kate marked Children’s Mental Health Week at the end of January with a selfie video during a jog in the Norfolk countryside.

The royal appeared to be speaking from the grounds of her Norfolk home and donned a cosy navy beanie with a huge fluffy bobble and a navy quilted Barbour jacket. 

In the clip, she appealed to parents to ‘look after’ themselves during this ‘hugely challenging time’. 

Kate said mothers and fathers need to be ‘the very best versions of ourselves for the children in our care’ in her address. 

Princess Charlotte twirled her low ponytail as she greeted the Thomas's Battersea's head Helen Haslem

She was accompanied by her parents Kate and Prince William, 38, and her older brother Prince George, now seven

Princess Charlotte – who was accompanied by her parents Kate and Prince William, 38, and her older brother Prince George, now seven – twirled her low ponytail as she greeted the Thomas’s Battersea’s head Helen Haslem

The message comes after the royal confessed parenting during lockdown has left her ‘exhausted’ and joked about her children recoiling in ‘horror’ when she became their hairdresser. 

In her message, Kate said: ‘This year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is all about expressing yourself – about finding creative ways in which to share your thoughts, ideas and feelings. 

‘So whether that’s through photography, through art, through drama, through music or poetry – it’s finding those things that make you feel good about yourself.

‘And while this is Children’s Mental Health Week there has never been a more important time to talk about parental wellbeing and mental health too.

‘Last year you told me just how important this was, that many of us find it hard to prioritise. This is a hugely challenging time for us all so please look after yourself too.

‘Find those ways in which to share your thoughts and your feelings or find someone to talk to because we really do need to be the very best versions of ourselves for the children in our care.’