Princess Charlotte Looks Cute as a Button in New Royal Baby Pic Taken by Kate

Royal baby photos released to the public have, for many years, been informal and sought to telegraph one simple message: “We’re just like you, the only difference is that we brush our kids' hair.”

And the photos released today of Princess Charlotte petting a toy dog follow in that long and venerable tradition. She's barely an inch of hair on her head, but not a hair of it is out of place.

Like mother like daughter, eh?

However, the Cambridges have gone one better than their forbears in their quest for authentic informality – and these new photographs were actually taken by Mom herself.

This is not a first. Kate is a keen amateur photographer and took a joint portrait of George and Charlotte a few weeks after her daughter was born on May 2, which was also released to the masses.

This is no Mario Testino-engineered impression of informality. It's the real deal.

So even if Will and Kate won’t post their pictures on instagram, the general public can be at least allowed to believe that they are sharing an intimate family moment with them.

To appease the traditionalists, the baby girl is wearing a pink cardigan and pink socks, while the dress underneath is almost certainly a Liberty print.

The palace said that the photographs were being released by Will and Kate to thank their fans for their good wishes since Charlotte was born. They were taken by Kate at their family home Anmer Hall in Norfolk early in November.

Kensington Palace said in a statement: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to be able to share two new photographs of Princess Charlotte. They were taken by The Duchess in early November at their home in Norfolk. The Duke and Duchess continue to receive warm messages about Princess Charlotte from all around the world and they hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as they do."

The big question now is whether or not the WHOLE FAMILY will appear together in the Cambridge Christmas card, for, incredible as it may seem, there has not yet been a photo actually showing the faces of all four members of the family.