Queen Elizabeth once suggested Princess Charlotte 'looks after' older brother Prince George, pal claims: 'It is second child syndrome'

The late Queen Elizabeth was surely a doting great-grandmother, often speaking highly of her great-grandchildren.

There was one instance back in January 2018 when she made an interesting comment about Prince William and Kate Middleton's kids, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.

During a church mass at Sandringham Estate, the monarch chatted with friend Ellen Clay.

Clay's 10-year-old daughter, Emily, received a Bible from the queen at the time, with the sovereign asking if she "looked after" her little sister, Hadleigh.

Clay noted it was actually the "other way around," with the queen replying: "It's like that with Charlotte and George."

Shortly after the meeting, her husband, Tom, told HELLO!: "The queen was implying that Charlotte keeps an eye out for George rather than the other way around. It is often the case that a younger child is more confident. It is second child syndrome."

The Princess of Wales, 44, also once echoed this sentiment about her only daughter.

In March 2017, Kate attended the unveiling ceremony for a London war memorial honoring the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. While speaking with army officer Chris Burge's wife, Samantha, Kate said: "Charlotte is growing up really fast. She is the one in charge."

Charlotte is third in the line of succession to the British throne, behind William, 44, and George. The Prince of Wales gave some rare insight into his life with his three kids during an October 2025 episode of Eugene Levy's show, The Reluctant Traveler.

During mealtimes, the Wales "sit and chat [because] it's really important."

"None of our children have any phones, which we're very strict about," William explained, adding Louis "is obsessed with trampolining."

"He and Charlotte end up jumping up and down on the trampoline, beating each other up, most of the time," the Duke of Cambridge quipped.

"Apparently, there is an art to it. Charlotte does her netball as well and her ballet and so keeping them busy with sports and being outdoors is really important. They're trying to learn musical instruments. I'm not sure how successful we're being with that. George loves his football and his hockey," he said.

Charlotte and Louis also seem to be very close, as they stuck to each other's sides during grandpa King Charles' coronation in May 2023. The siblings held hands as they waltzed into Westminster Abbey for the once-in-a-generation ceremony at the time.