History is littered with potential and greatness seen in people from a young age – defying expectations and achieving the incredible. Aged just 10, a young Alexander the Great proved his courage by taming the wild Bucephalus, after noticing the horse was merely afraid of its own shadow. 

Age is no barrier to competency – but nor do we want modern royals to be groomed for greatness, when they should enjoy the freedom and joy of childhood. Too many young royals were treated harshly as children, due to the ‘seriousness’ of their future roles – even those that would be deemed the ‘royal spare’.

As mentioned in the Hollywood film The King’s Speech, the future Edward VIII and George VI were both abused by a nasty nanny – yet King Charles and Prince William found their own ‘nannies’ to be sources of stability in tough times.

Charles hired Tiggy Legge-Bourke to help care for his sons and she became like an older sister and friend to Harry and William.

Now William and Kate have a hands-on approach, and this is certainly paying off with the blossoming-in-confidence Charlotte.

I have written before about how different she is to the world’s most self-aggrieved, bitter royal ‘spare’, Prince Harry – who even named his £20m bestseller book after the role.

Last Christmas Eve, the Princess of Wales sat at a piano in Windsor Castle playing a duet with her and William’s middle-child, the 10-year-old Princess Charlotte, for an ITV1 Christmas Eve broadcast.

Looking totally at ease with the public performance Charlotte played with just her right hand while the Princess of Wales used only her left, in Windsor Castle’s Inner Hall.

Then on Christmas Day itself, Charlotte seemed to enjoy the traditional royal festive walkabout at the Sandringham Estate to the December 25 church service.

While Prince George, 12, seems polite but reserved and Prince Louis energetic – Charlotte looks a blend of both. Considered but relaxed and dare I say it, regal. And she’s just 10.

One clip that went viral showed her leaning in to shake the hand of one fan, wishing them “Merry Christmas” when a woman asked: “Charlotte, can we have a photo with you?”

Charlotte excitedly replied: “Yes, yes!” She’s been compared already to quick-witted Princess Anne for her down-to-earth interactions with the public.

“We are seeing signs of Charlotte becoming more independent, but also reminders that she is still just supposed to be a normal 10-year-old girl,” said Justin Vovk – a royal historian and member of the advisory board of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.

Alexander the Great’s armies conquered the known world – now Charlotte seems to be conquering the tricky role of being ‘the spare’ that sadly eluded her Uncle Harry.