The two-year-old, who is fourth in line to the throne and ready to welcome a younger brother or sister later this year, was pictured before she left for her first day at Willcocks Nursery School.

Charlotte is beaming as she grips the handrail outside the famous palace, wearing a white scarf and a £120 red coat by Amaia Kids.

She is also wearing a Cath Kidston ballerina rucksack for her big day in the photographs, released yesterday.

The princess will be a full-time pupil at the nursery, which charges fees of just over £3,000 a term for pupils attending its Monday to Friday morning school, and employs lots of play as children learn.

Charlotte can look forward to pottery and poetry classes at the sought-after nursery, which is located next to the Royal Albert Hall.

The 53-year-old school was founded in 1964 by Mrs Diana Willcocks in the hall of Holy Trinity Church in South Kensington, right next door to the Royal Albert Hall.

Today it is run by Headmistress Lavinia Taylor for an annual fee of £14,550 – without the weekly lunch club. 

The nursery prides itself on maintaining “an ethos of high standards, excellence and good manners”, according to its website.

When it was announced that Charlotte would be attending Willcocks, a spokesman said: “We are delighted that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have chosen the Willcocks Nursery School for Princess Charlotte. We look forward to welcoming Charlotte to our nursery in January.”

Charlotte will be attending a different nursery to her brother, Prince George, who attended Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk.

However, with Kate expecting a third child in April, the family have moved back to Kensington Palace in London and Charlotte’s new school is just a stone’s throw away from the royal residence.

Prince George, who now attends Thomas’ Battersea, is expected to return to school this week while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also go back to work this week after the festive period.

Prince William is set to visit the Royal Marsden Hospital on Wednesday in his capacity of president of the Trust, while the Duchess visits Reach Academy in Feltham as patron of children's mental health charity Place2Be.

Kate, who celebrates her 36th birthday today, is a keen and accomplished amateur photographer who last year accepted a lifetime honorary membership of the Royal Photographic Society which recognised her "talent and enthusiasm".

The Duchess bucked tradition when she took the official photographs of her newborn daughter in 2015.

The photos of Charlotte showed the young princess being cradled by her older brother Prince George at William and Kate's Norfolk home, Anmer Hall.

The 36-year-old, a history of art graduate, has also released pictures to mark other milestones in her children's lives, including George's first day at nursery school and Charlotte's first birthday.