Breaking News: Why Princess Charlotte Is Getting a “Royal Crash Course” From Princess Anne….See More

While most 9-year-old girls are busy dressing up their dolls and playing with friends, Princess Charlotte has bigger fish to fry and is hard at work preparing for her future within the royal family. According to the Express, Charlotte has reportedly undergone a “royal crash course” with her great-aunt Princess Anne, as she may one day inherit her Princess Royal title.

Anne’s ‘training,’ if you will, isn’t just about rank, file, and curtsies either,” a source told Woman magazine (via Express). “She’s shown her how to spark conversations, but also how to end one and move on without upsetting anyone. That was a tough one for Kate to learn, but Charlotte was born into royalty so is used to the subtle signals and messaging the royals give to stay in control of a situation.”

As for why Charlotte has been the one chosen for “training” over anyone else, the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden revealed on the Palace Confidential podcast: “Traditionally, the Princess Royal would be the eldest daughter of the monarch so when William becomes King, it is likely that Princess Charlotte, if Princess Anne is dead, may be our future Princess Royal.”

He further explained that without a living Princess Anne, there wouldn’t be an immediate successor until Prince William becomes king, as that’s only when Charlotte would become eligible to receive the Princess Royal title. And it isn’t handed over by default, either. William would have to decide when Charlotte is ready (Anne waited until 1987 before she was officially bestowed the honor).

However, that doesn’t mean Charlotte has to accept the title if she doesn’t want to. “She could do, who knows,” Eden said. “Who knows what the future holds, but that has been the tradition in the past, that it is the eldest daughter of the monarch.”