Prince George has officially entered his teenage years, with the royal family marking his 13th birthday by sharing beach footage captured during their Easter getaway to Cornwall.
The young prince celebrated the milestone on Wednesday, with a behind-the-scenes video montage filmed in the South West released to commemorate the occasion.
In the clip, George can be seen sporting sunglasses while waving and grinning at the camera, batting in a game of beach cricket, and scrambling over rocks without shoes alongside his younger brother Prince Louis.
His parents posted the footage on social media with the message: “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for George today!”
Earlier today, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared 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.
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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.
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.
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.
When September arrives, George will enrol at Eton and be placed in the same boarding house where both his father and uncle once lived.
Signs of George’s growing independence have emerged recently. “George was boarding last night,” William noted during a radio interview this summer.
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