Prince George marks his 13th birthday today, with the Prince and Princess of Wales sharing a fresh portrait of their eldest son to celebrate the milestone.
The image was captured by photographer Matt Porteous shortly after last month’s Trooping the Colour ceremony.
William and Catherine posted the photograph this morning alongside a straightforward caption: “Happy 13th Birthday, George!”
As the second in line to the throne after his father, George’s journey from royal infant to teenager has been closely followed by the public.
Prince George marks his 13th birthday today, with the Prince and Princess of Wales sharing a fresh portrait of their eldest son to celebrate the milestone.
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Matt Porteous
Each birthday has been accompanied by carefully chosen imagery whether from his mother’s own camera or selected professional photographers and this year’s release continues that established tradition.
William and Catherine have been “relentlessly focused” on navigating royal parenthood since before George was even born, according to a source who spoke to the Telegraph.
“No one knows better than William what life is like growing up in the Royal family,” the source says. “He is absolutely determined to get it right.”
Those close to the couple describe a guiding principle centred on putting family ahead of institution. “They will serve the institution, but they will also make sure their children are raised with as much normality as possible,” says a friend.
As the second in line to the throne after his father, George’s journey from royal infant to teenager has been closely followed by the public.
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GETTY
Drawing lessons from previous generations’ missteps has been “absolutely central” to their approach, another source confirms.
From their time at Lambrook prep school in Berkshire, George and his siblings Charlotte and Louis have participated in the full range of pupil life, including extracurricular activities and school trips.
William and Catherine have thrown themselves into the parental side too, byattending sports fixtures, chapel services and school functions.
In a detail that underscores just how committed they are to ordinariness, the couple are active on parent WhatsApp groups and regularly handle the logistics of play dates and school lifts.
“The way they have lived their lives getting the kids outside, spending time together, focusing on the school run it’s just as strategic as any other part of their public service,” says a source.
Signs of George’s growing independence have emerged recently. “George was boarding last night,” William noted during a radio interview this summer.
When September arrives, George will enrol at Eton and be placed in the same boarding house where both his father and uncle once lived.
He will arrive alongside friends from Lambrook and familiar faces from the prep-school sporting circuit.