The Princess of Wales has picked up the camera again and posted a special photo to mark her daughter Charlotte’s ninth birthday.

In a sweet tribute, the Kate and husband Prince William released a picture of Princess Charlotte smiling happily in the garden of their home in Windsor.

The photograph was taken in the past few days by the princess.

“Happy 9th Birthday, Princess Charlotte!” said a message posted on the couple’s X account on Thursday.

“Thank you for all of the kind messages today.”

Tweet from @KensingtonRoyal

It has become tradition for Kensington Palace to release pictures taken by Kate, a keen amateur photographer, to mark birthdays and other family occasions.

However, a picture issued this year on Mother’s Day in March was withdrawn by news organisations, including Reuters, because it had been edited. Kate later apologised for the editing bungle.

That occurred shortly before the princess revealed she was having preventive chemotherapy after tests carried out after major abdominal surgery she had in January revealed that cancer had been present.

The latest image of Charlotte shows Kate appears to have put the photo-gate controversy behind her.

Last week, William and Kate shared a charming photo of Prince Louis on his sixth birthday – the first picture they had released since the photo manipulation debacle in March.

The natural photo was a close-up image of the beaming young prince sporting a missing bottom tooth.

Kate was credited with also taking that picture in Windsor.

Heir to the throne William resumed official duties in April. Kate will return to the public spotlight only when her medical team says she is well enough to do so.

The King returned to public-facing engagements this week for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer in February.

-with AAP