Happy Birthday, Prince George!
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s eldest son – who turns 9 Friday – flashed a cheeky smile before his big day in a new portrait shared on social media.
“George turns 9! 🎂🎈”, the proud parents wrote in the sweet photo, which was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge herself.
The young royal, who wore a powder-blue collared shirt and side-swept hair, bore a striking resemblance to his father as he posed on the beach.
William and Kate have made it a tradition to post a new portrait of their three children – George, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4 – every year on their birthday.
The 40-year-old Duchess often takes the photos herself, placing her three children in places of special significance to the royal family.
Last year, George was pictured sitting atop a Land Rover Defender in a striped collared shirt, a nod to Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was closely associated with the vehicle.
The prince brought that same cheeky grin to Wimbledon earlier this month, where all eyes were on him for his silly expressions.
For his first time at the famous tennis tournament, the young royal matched his parents in a navy suit, but he didn’t keep his composure for long.
Fans watched as the youngster was caught poking his nose before pinching and squeezing his face as Novak Djokovic took on Nick Kyrgios in the match.
Prince William, 40, was the same age as his eldest son when he first attended his first Wimbledon match with Princess Diana in 1991.
It seems that all the children of the royal couple resemble their father.
Earlier this year. when Princess Charlotte’s 7th birthday portrait was released, people quickly noticed her striking resemblance to the future king as she lay in a bed of purple flowers with her cocker spaniel puppy, Orla.