The Prince and Princess of Wales marked a major milestone on Saturday as they celebrated their eldest son, Prince George's tenth birthday. which also saw Princess Kate break a longstanding family tradition.
The family reportedly held an "intimate" gathering for a group of close-knit friends at their home in Windsor to privately celebrate George, but like in previous years, they also released a new photo of the birthday boy – and it caused quite a stir among royal fans.
Prince George looked adorable wearing a checked blue and white shirt, with teal jeans and boots – similar to outfits we've seen on father William – while sitting on the steps at Windsor Castle with a huge smile on his face.
Princess Kate and Prince William posted the photo on their official social media accounts, and their followers were quick to point out the strong family resemblance between not just George and his dad, but also George and his late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
© @milliepilkingtonphotography"He looks so grown up now and so much like his dad happy 10th birthday Prince George! I wish you all the best and I hope you will have a great day and a wonderful new year! We all love you," one royal fan posted in response to the photo on Twitter.
A second said: "Happy Birthday Prince George. You're growing so fast, and you look like your dad and your grandmother." A third added: "Happy Birthday! So much like his late Great Grand Mother." A fourth simply wrote: "What a handsome happy young prince and future king!"
© GettyGeorge's big day no doubt included a homemade birthday cake baked by Princess Kate, who previously revealed she stays up late on the eve of each of her children's birthdays to make them a cake.
"I love making the cake," she shared on Mary Berry's A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019. "It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up 'til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it."
© GettyGeorge's birthday comes just in time for the school holidays, which he will enjoy with his parents and younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five. The Prince will be going into Year Six at Lambrook School in Berkshire when the young royals return to their classrooms in September.
© Instagram / @Kensington PalaceNow that the youngster has moved up the line of succession following his great-grandmother's death on 8 September 2022 – meaning he is now second-in-line to the throne – his parents are slowly introducing him to his future public-facing role.
In recent years, we've seen George make his debut at sporting events, including Euro 2020, Wimbledon and the Ashes. He also carried out his first major role independent of his parents when he was chosen as one of his grandfather King Charles's Pages of Honour at the coronation back in May.
