To celebrate Princess Charlotte's ninth birthday, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a celebratory portrait of their daughter.

Following tradition, Kensington Palace released a new photo of the Princess, reportedly taken by proud mom Kate Middleton herself. The photo was shared on all official social media accounts of the Crown Prince and Princess, including Instagram.

"Happy 9th birthday, Princess Charlotte! 🎂," the caption of the photo reads." Thanks for all the kind messages today." The caption also included a photo credit for Middleton.

In the photo, Princess Charlotte is wearing a blue shirt and red cardigan and leaning against a chain-link fence decorated with flowers. According to Gardens Illustrated, the flower in the photo is Clematis Elizabeth, one of the first flowers named after the late Queen Elizabeth.

Born on May 2, 2015, Charlotte was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in honor of both Queen Elizabeth and the late Princess Diana, mother of Prince William, who tragically died in a car crash on August 31, 1997.

Kensington Palace released a photograph of Kate Middleton and her children, which was later found to be digitally altered, and Middleton took responsibility for what was reportedly a "Photoshop fail," leading to the ensuing furor.

As a result, after conspiracy theories and public speculation about her health reached a fever pitch, Middleton announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventive treatment.

The whole ordeal left royal commentators and fans wondering whether Middleton would continue the tradition of having her portrait unveiled on her children's birthdays. Indeed, Kensington Palace was unceremoniously delayed in unveiling Prince Louis' portrait on his birthday, which fell on April 23.

"It is something of a royal tradition that royal birthdays are celebrated by the release of photographs. Princess Catherine has taken many pictures and they are always eagerly awaited," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Express.

"This was unfortunate because of the vexing issue [of Mother's Day photos]," Fitzwilliams continued. The revelation that it was edited led to a very awkward tussle, after which it was revealed that she was not only recovering from abdominal surgery, but was also bravely battling cancer."

Fitzwilliams further stated that she believes that when it came to the release of Prince Louis' birthday portrait, there "may have been discussions" contemplating the best way forward, and that the delay could "highlight (Middleton's) need for time, space and privacy." He added that it is very likely.

"After the misunderstandings of the last few weeks, this should be universally understood," Fitzwilliams added.