NEW photographs of Princess Charlotte, taken by her mother the Duchess of Cambridge at their home in Norfolk, have been released to mark her first birthday.

The four new pictures offer an intimate snapshot of how the young princess has grown up during her first 12 months.

The Princess is today celebrating her first birthday.

One of the new photos shows Charlotte in a pink cardigan with a white collar, worn over a soft pink floral dress - a pink clip in her hair - pushing a colourful baby walker full of alphabet blocks on the lawn outside, a determined look on her face.

In another, dressed in the same outfit, she sits on the floor at home gazing at the camera with big blue eyes similar to those of her older brother, Prince George.

A third photograph portrays her leaning on a wooden chair, this time wearing a cream cardigan over a blue dress with a blue ribbon clip in her hair.

And a final photograph shows Charlotte's startling resemblance to George as she clambers on a wicker chair, playfully glancing back towards the camera.

A spokeswoman for William and Kate said: "The Duke and Duchess are very happy to be able to share these important family moments and hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as they do."

The young royal was introduced to the public on the day of her birth, May 2 2015, and like her brother, those first images of the tiny infant were captured by the world's media.

She was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in tribute to her grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales and her great-grandmother the Queen.

Charlotte's privacy has been carefully guarded by her family and during the past year she has only been seen in public on one other occasion, her christening.

On that day George stole the limelight when he stood on tiptoe to peer into her pram and chatted to the Queen, who bent down to speak to her great-grandson.

Charlotte has only been seen in a handful of pictures to mark events like six months after her birth, her first Christmas and most recently in a group picture with the Queen's other great-grandchildren and youngest grandchildren to mark the monarch's 90th birthday.