Kate Middleton shares sweet new photo of Princess Charlotte

Kate Middleton surprised royal fans over the weekend by sharing a sweet new photograph she had taken of her daughter, Princess Charlotte, last year.

The snapshot, which was shared to Instagram on Saturday, marked the release of the Duchess of Cambridge's new podcast "Happy Mum, Happy Baby," where she talks all things parenting with host with Giovanna Fletcher.

In the rare interview, the royal gets candid about raising her three children -- George, Charlotte and Louis -- with Prince William and how her own upbringing has influenced her style of parenting. She describes how one photograph of her four-year-old daughter reminds her to stay grounded.

"I’ve got this one photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell, and really for me it’s moments like that mean so much to me as a parent," Kate told Fletcher. "I try every day to put moments like that in, even if they’re small or even if I don’t have time."

She continued:

"Life now is so busy, so distracting, and actually sometimes the simple things like watching a fire on a really rainy day, I find such enjoyment, and actually, I remember that from my childhood — doing the simple things, going on walks together — and that's what I try and do with my children as well."

The 38-year-old also talked about how motherhood has influenced her latest initiative on childhood development, "5 Big Questions."

"I think ultimately if you look at who’s caring and looking after and nurturing children in the most vital period, from pregnancy all the way to the age of five, you know parents and carers are right at the heart of that, and families are right at the heart of that, and although I’ve spoken to the scientists and the service providers, it’s so important to listen to families," she says in the interview with Fletcher, whom she met after the project's launch.

"It’s going to take a long time—I’m talking about a generational change—but hopefully this is the first small step: to start a conversation around the importance of early childhood development. It’s not just about happy, healthy children. This is for lifelong consequences and outcomes.”