Princess Charlotte SPARKS Royal fan FRENZY after sweet tribute to Princess Diana

Princess Charlotte’s latest portrait, released in celebration of her ninth birthday, appears to pay tribute to Princess Diana with the design of her shirt collar.

Charlotte turned nine on May 2 and to mark the occasion a special new picture was shared of her, smiling sweetly in a garden leaning against a fence next to some pink flowers.

In the image the Princess is wearing a knitted cardigan over a blue sweatshirt and a denim skirt with tights, with a hint of floral material visible at the collar underneath her jumper.

This pie-crust collar was hugely popular in the 1980s and is now making a fashion comeback, with Princess Diana one of its original fans back in her heyday.

The late Princess of Wales established herself as a fashion icon after marrying into the Royal Family in 1981 and often wore the collar with dresses, blazers and suits.

A pie-crust collar is defined by a high-neck design that is equal parts frills and structure and mimics the look of a fluted pie crust with its even ruffle.

Princess Kate too has been seen rocking the look, with Charlotte apparently set to inherit her mother and grandmother’s royal fashion icon status.

Another sweet tribute to a third royal family member can be found in the birthday portrait as the nine-year-old is seen posing next to some pale pink Clematis Elizabeth flowers.

These flowers were named after Charlotte’s late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and are described as “strong climbers with a delicate scent”.

The late Queen was passionate about gardening and horticulture, as she was a fervent patron of the Royal Horticultural Society and eagerly attended the Chelsea Flower Show.

In the documentary The Queen at Ninety Kate revealed how overjoyed Queen Elizabeth was when she and Prince William welcomed their daughter in 2015.

She said: “The Queen was really thrilled that it was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington, she was one of our first visitors here.”

Charlotte, her older brother Prince George and younger brother Prince Louis are now based in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor with their parents, attending the nearby Lambrook School.

Kate has not yet been back on royal duty so far this year as she confirmed in March that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.