Princess Charlotte’s sweet bond with Mia Tindall, 11, was on full display at Sandringham – as cousins were spotted excitedly comparing their Christmas outfits

While Princess Charlotte is close with her brothers, her most recent appearance at Sandringham proved she’s a girl’s girl at heart. 

Royal fans noted how the 10-year-old daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a warm and affectionate relationship with her cousin Mia Tindall, the 11-year-old daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall. 

A sweet video of the pair showed Charlotte and Mia excitedly comparing their outfits after the Christmas church service in Norfolk yesterday. 

At one point, Charlotte appeared to ask Mia to inspect her Tory Burch brown ballet flats that retail for £310 and are believed to have been a new purchase for Christmas. 

Mia then seems to have suggested the designer shoes matched her Catherine Walker coat – which was reportedly a custom creation for the young princess – nicely. 

The short clip was shared by a fan account of the Princess of Wales, and showed Mia gesturing towards the cuffs of her own grey houndstooth coat from Max & Co.  

Her mother Zara, who is an ambassador for Fairfax & Favor, seemingly styled the coat with a pair of suede ankle boots from the luxury shoe brand. 

As Mia exchanged fashion notes with Charlotte, her younger sister Lena, seven, tagged along with them as fans noticed she was wearing a very special royal hand-me-down for Christmas. 

At one point, Charlotte appeared to ask Mia to inspect her Tory Burch brown ballet flats that retail for £310 and are believed to have been a new purchase for Christmas

Princess Anne’s youngest granddaughter borrowed Mia’s military-inspired navy coat from Monsoon, which she wore to the late Prince Philip’s service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in 2022. 

But that wasn’t the first time the coat had been worn by a royal baby; it appeared Mia herself received the item of clothing from her cousin Savannah Phillips, the daughter of Zara’s brother Peter Phillips.

Savannah, now 14, debuted the jacket during one of her earliest appearances at Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2017. 

Fans were delighted to discover the Royal Family ‘hand down clothes’ like all families, as one Instagram user wrote: ‘Nothing better than a good hand me down. Two of my four daughters wore a similar coat when they were young!’ 

As the easy friendship and camaraderie between cousins William and Zara’s children was one of the highlights of this year’s festivities, the future King has previously said’it’s very special’ to watch them spend time together. 

In an interview with People four years ago, William, 43, said: ‘For me, generally, bringing the family together at Christmastime is always lovely because we’re quite spread out doing our things a lot of time throughout the year. We get very few moments to actually come together. 

‘When I see my children meet up with my cousin’s children, and they all have a wonderful time playing together, it’s very special. I look forward to that a lot.’

Mia’s father, former rugby union player Mike echoed William’s sentiments during an appearance on Good Morning Britain the same year. 

Mike, 47, remarked that his family’s growth has been ‘quite intertwined with’ the Waleses, as their children are of similar ages. 

This has translated into a special bond, he continued, as Mike added: ‘Our kids are very, very close, which is great for the kids that they’re always going to have some cousins and those cousins – are going to be the same age and can grow up with them.’ 

As Mia exchanged fashion notes with Charlotte, her younger sister Lena, seven, (left) tagged along with them as fans noticed she was wearing a very special royal hand-me-down for Christmas

Princess Anne’s youngest granddaughter borrowed Mia’s military-inspired navy coat from Monsoon, which she wore to the late Prince Philip’s service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in 2022

This year’s church service isn’t the first time the Waleses children’s sweet friendship with their second cousins has caught the attention of royal fans. 

A video from their royal excursion to Sandringham, while greeting well-wishers outside the church, underscored how much Charlotte cares about Mia. 

The footage opened with Charlotte’s older brother George, now 12, showing Louis, now seven, a teddy bear he had been gifted. 

As the clip continued, both Charlotte and Mia were seen clutching flower bouquets before a member of the crowd tried to get the former’s attention and give her another bouquet.  

Charlotte then whispered something to Mia, who smiled and walked up to the person to accept the flowers in a gesture of inclusion. 

The clip was viewed over three million times as fans praised ‘thoughtful’ Charlotte’s kindness, with one TikTok user writing: ‘No but Charlotte and Mia are so cute the way she said you can get it, Mia was so happy!!’ 

Another added: ‘When Charlotte let Mia get the flowers she felt happy and included.’ 

A third comment read: ‘This is going to be the best version of the monarchy to watch growing up. They are so tight with each other! Zara is the sibling Wills needs!’

One person noted how ‘Charlotte is precious and so sweet to others everytime we see her!’ 

Another user said it was clear from the heartwarming clip that both Charlotte and George ‘have hearts of gold’. 

Mia also seems to have a soft spot for the youngest – and cheekiest – Wales sibling after she was spotted walking hand-in-hand with Louis during the Christmas service in 2023

Charlotte and Mia photographed whispering conspiratorially at the same event 

Mia also seems to have a soft spot for the youngest – and cheekiest – Wales sibling after she was spotted walking hand-in-hand with Louis during the same event.

It comes after Charlotte was declared the undisputed star of Sandringham this Christmas, as Prince William and Catherine’s daughter stole the show with her grace, poise, and affability. 

Fans noted she was already a ‘total pro’ after they watched her interact with the 500-strong crowd of fans that gathered outside the church for a glimpse of the Royal Family on Christmas morning. 

One video, which has over 2.2 million views at the time of writing, showed Charlotte stopping to take a selfie with a woman during the royal walkabout.  

The woman can be heard saying ‘Charlotte, can we have a photo with you?’ to which Charlotte softly replied, ‘Yes.’

After asking if she would be able to take the snap, a sweet photo of the lady and the young princess is shown on screen.

The TikTok user’s comments have since been flooded with praise for Charlotte, who has been described as ‘so polished’ and ‘polite’.

Elsewhere, Charlotte charmed royal fans as she hugged a well-wisher following the traditional festive service at Sandringham.  

In a video from the Norfolk estate, she can be seen stepping forward from her siblings to embrace a delighted member of the public, prompting smiles from onlookers gathered along the route.

King Charles led the royal festivities at Sandringham alongside Queen Camilla, who stood out in a bright red overcoat and matching hat.   

After the hour-long service, the family returned to Sandringham House for a Christmas lunch hosted by the King, once again pausing to greet members of the public on their walk back.

The day also brought a surprise appearance from the King’s nieces, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who attended despite speculation they might spend Christmas elsewhere this year.

Beatrice was joined by her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who later wished members of the press a merry Christmas as the family departed.

Other royals spotted included Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, with their children Lady Louise, 22, and James, Viscount Severn, 17, as well as Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence.