Prince George's New Birthday Portrait Has Royal Fans Saying the Same Thing About Dad William
Prince George recently celebrated his milestone 12th birthday on July 22, and as usual, his parents shared an official portrait on social media to commemorate the occasion. As George looked nothing short of a poised gentleman in the portrait, royal fans were reminded of his father, arguing he looked like the ‘spitting image’ of his dad, Prince William. Others were in disbelief that the young Prince is already 12.
In the portrait, captured by Josh Shinner, George is seen wearing an olive green gilet over a checked blue shirt. Sharing the portrait, the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote, “Happy 12th birthday to Prince George!” In response, royal watchers flooded the comments section with warm wishes for the future monarch. Netizens noted that George looks more and more like his father, with one quipping, “Wow, it’s like Princess Catherine’s genes didn’t even try! I remember William so well when he was this age...this is his twin!”
In a similar vein, another opined, “My goodness, he is the spitting image of his dad!” A royal fan also penned, “Have a blessed birthday, Prince George. You remind me of your dad at that age. Such a good-looking family.” Another echoed, “What a fine young man he's become... handsome, poised, and full of quiet confidence.”
Others couldn't believe how grown George looked. One wrote, “Happy 12th birthday to Prince George! It feels like just yesterday he was a toddler.” Another added, “Prince George looks so grown up! I can’t believe he is 12 years old already.” The Waleses also shared an adorable video of all three of their children laughing together in a garden.
Coming back to the father and son, George is expected to face many changes as he rings in his 12th birthday. According to Hello! magazine’s royal expert Emily Nash, “At 12, George is entering his final year at Lambrook before moving on to secondary school, so this will be a key year for him. But William and Kate have always prioritized giving their children as normal and private a childhood as possible, and that is not about to change.”
Besides the young Prince’s school, another royal protocol is expected to be implemented, which would restrict him from flying in the same flight as his father. Nash wrote, “At 12, William stopped flying with his father, as a precautionary measure, to protect the line of succession. It may be that William and Kate choose to do things differently when it comes to their own family, however.” Another tradition that George could be introduced to is the royal family’s favorite sport: stag hunting. Both William and Prince Harry are known to have gone on their first hunt when they were younger than George. With George now 12, royal author Duncan Larcombe claimed, “He will join his father on a stag-hunting shoot while they visit the Balmoral estate this month. Traditionally, the blood of a hunter's first kill is spread on their face, a ritual that goes back centuries.”