Britain's Princess Charlotte, 4, starts school

LONDON - Princess Charlotte, daughter of Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate, started school on Thursday, joining her elder brother Prince George at Thomas's Battersea in southwest London.

Four-year-old Charlotte, dressed in the school's uniform of navy blue with red trim cardigan and blue skirt, held her mother's hand as she arrived at the school, accompanied also by her father and her brother.

Strict about children's appearance, the London school emphasises that hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back. Charlotte had done so neatly, with a whispy ponytail. She also bore a backpack with a sequin-studded unicorn keychain.

Headteacher Helen Haslem greeted Charlotte with a handshake as the princess balanced on tip-toe to introduce herself, watched by a beaming Kate, who wore a modest floral dress.

The great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, Charlotte is fourth-in-line to the British throne, after - in ascending order - six-year-old George, her father William and her grandfather Prince Charles.