In news that is set to make the most avid of royal watchers feel rather old, Prince George is ringing in his eighth birthday!
And to mark the milestone moment, Prince William and Duchess Catherine have released a stunning new portrait to celebrate the occasion.
“Turning eight(!) tomorrow,” their statement read.
In the new photo, the third in line to the British throne George beams at the camera sitting atop a car in the countryside. The birthday snaps were captured by Duchess Catherine herself while the family were in Norfolk together this week.
We’ve been seeing a lot of the eight-year-old in recent months.
At the end of June, Prince George accompanied his parents to cheer on the English soccer team as they defeated Germany in the EURO soccer semi-finals. Dressed in a suit and tie combo which twinned with dad William, many were quick to point out just how similar father and son had become.
The following week, the enthusiastic soccer fan suited up yet again as he watched Italy defeat his beloved English team in a nail-biting grand final match at Wembley Stadium in London.
The first child of Prince William and Duchess Catherine, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge (and his gorgeous chubby cheeks) entered the world on July 22nd, 2013.
It’s been a jam-packed eight years for the charming royal, who in his short time has become a loving big brother to Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, a fashion icon, the world’s favourite royal thanks to his huge range of sweet faces, plus he’s found a fun playmate in cousin Savannah Phillips.
In 2014, George travelled to Australia and New Zealand with his parents on his first official royal tour. He’s since joined mum and dad on trips to Canada, Poland and Germany.
The early years of his childhood were spent at the Cambridge’s country estate, Anmer Hall in Norfolk, before they moved back to Kensington Palace in London full-time.
For the majority of 2020 during lockdown, Prince George isolated with his family back at Anmer Hall.
Prince George currently attends Thomas’s Battersea Prep in London and while his parents will eventually show him the ropes for his future role as the King of England, for now, they are determined for him to have as normal an upbringing as possible.
“There’ll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in the world. But right now, it’s just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing him as much love as I can as a father,” Prince William has previously explained.
“I want George to grow up in a real, living environment, I don’t want him growing up behind palace walls, he has to be out there.”