Two photographs of the young Princess Charlotte were released today, showing her in a little red coat and red Mary Janes as she left for her first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School. The pictures were taken by her proud mum, the Duchess of Cambridge, who was no doubt choking back tears as her daughter left the nest.

via The Telegraph:

Princess Charlotte now attends the “kind and gentle” Willcocks Nursery School, which is barely half a mile from Kensington Palace, full time.

Willcocks, which has an all-female staff, is described by Tatler as a “hidden gem” that “flies under the radar” and is attended by British children and “chic foreigners” alike, some of whom register their children at birth in order to ensure them a place.

It is rated “outstanding” by Ofsted because of the “exceptional” organisation of time and the staff’s meticulous planning, which ensures “no time is wasted.”

Her older brother, Prince George, attended a Montessori nursery school in Norfolk, with his first day similarly marked with a photograph of him with a backpack.

They grow up so fast!