Experts Say The Queen's Favorite Great-Grandchild Is Clear

Does Queen Elizabeth play favorites? It seems as though that may be the case! 

Elizabeth and her late husband Prince Philip had four kids of their own; Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Later on in life, Elizabeth and Philip became grandparents to eight grandchildren. Their grandkids gave them 10 great-grandchildren, all of whom the queen undoubtedly loves very much. The queen first became a great-grandmother when her grandson Peter Philips, son of Princess Anne and her husband Mark Phillips, welcomed a daughter named Savannah Phillips, with his wife, Autumn Kelly, back in 2010. Since then, the queen has become a great-grandmother nine times over. Savannah's sister, Isla Phillips, was born in 2012, followed by Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, and Lucas Philip Tindall, according to Town & Country.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to welcome a baby girl in the summer of 2021, which will make Elizabeth a great-grandmother for an eleventh time. According to Woman & Home, Philip "loved babies," but the queen "has always preferred being around children when they are a bit older, especially if it involves teaching them to sit astride a horse." And there's one great-grandchild in particular that the queen is particularly fond of, thanks in part to this shared interest. Keep reading to find out who it is.

The sassy, sweet daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton seems to have a special place in Queen Elizabeth's heart! Princess Charlotte, who was born on May 2, 2015, has won the queen over and the two are thought to have a very special bond. Perhaps it's no surprise that the queen's favorite great-grandchild is Charlotte — her parents did honor the queen by giving Charlotte her middle name after all. According to Vanity Fair, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pondered the name for two days after welcoming their daughter, finally agreeing upon Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Interestingly, the name Elizabeth is also a nod to Kate's great-grandmother.

Of course, when Charlotte was born, the queen simply could not wait to meet her newest granddaughter. According to the NZ Herald, the queen made her way to Kensington Palace three days after Charlotte made her earth-side appearance. It seems the queen wanted to be sure to meet the little one before the Cambridge family left for their summer home in Norfolk, which they did later that same day, according to the report.

One of the things that Queen Elizabeth loves most about Princess Charlotte is their shared interest in horses! "Princess Charlotte—who is pony-mad—has always been a favorite. The Duchess of Cambridge revealed that when [Charlotte] was born, the Queen 'was really thrilled' she was a girl," Woman & Home reports.

Charlotte has loved horses from a very young age. Back in 2016, Kate revealed her daughter's obsession during an event at Buckingham Palace, according to Town & Country. "I asked her how the children were, and she said Charlotte is really enjoying her riding which is great to hear," Paralympic Equestrian Natasha Baker, who was at the event, said at the time. She added that Kate "emphasized that Charlotte has this passion about horses and although she doesn't echo it, she'll do her best to champion and encourage it."

In March 2021, People magazine reported that Charlotte had taken up horseback riding over the past year. Charlotte's older brother, Prince George, has been riding horses since he was 4-years-old, according to the report. Of course, Elizabeth also started riding horses when she was around the same age, and has bred and owned several horses over the past several years according to Express.

Interestingly, Princess Charlotte "has long drawn comparisons to her great-grandmother" over the years, according to People magazine. "Charlotte and her great-grandmother share the same distinctive eye structure – from their matching blue eyes to the arch of their eyebrows, there's no questioning their resemblance. The young royal also has lovely light brown hair. Before her hair turned a regal shade of white, Queen Elizabeth's hair was a very similar shade to her great-granddaughter's," the outlet reported.

It seems each time the Cambridges share a new photo of Charlotte, she is compared to her great-grandmother in a side-by-side shot. According to Insider, the comparisons started when Charlotte was just a baby. The site points out that both Charlotte and Elizabeth have the same, large, round eyes, that are "deep-set," and suggests this physical trait stems back even further — to the Queen Mother.

Back in May 2019, Kate Middleton and Prince William shared some new photos of Charlotte in honor of her birthday. The youngster wore a plaid skirt, which may have been a nod to her "gan-gan." According to Town & Country, the queen has always had a "love of plaid" and she frequently wears "her signature pattern."