Prince George has marked his 13th birthday with an official portrait that perfectly captures his rapid growth and the exciting new chapter ahead. The image shows the future King George VII — as he is already being called — dressed sharply in a suit after last month’s Trooping the Colour parade. His parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, released the photo on their social media accounts with the warm message: “Happy 13th birthday, George!”
Taken at Kensington Palace by one of the family’s favourite photographers, Matt Porteous, the portrait signals a major milestone. In September the young prince will begin his senior-school life as a boarder at Eton College — the same prestigious institution where his father, Prince William, first made lifelong friends. This will be the first time since 2019 that George has attended school without at least one of his siblings, Princess Charlotte or Prince Louis.
At the same time, William and Catherine are carefully guiding their eldest son into public life. George is already taking on a steady, gradually increasing number of official engagements each year. He was last seen publicly at Wimbledon with the family earlier this month, but the royal schedule is likely to keep him out of the spotlight again until term begins in the autumn.
George is the eldest of the Wales children, followed by Charlotte (11) and Louis (eight). He first came to public attention when his parents stepped out of the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in London, carrying the tiny bundle they named George Alexander Louis. Catherine looked radiant in a summery powder-blue dress as the family revealed their first child to the world. Royal fans were quick to notice how grown-up George already looked in the latest portrait. Social-media users were stunned: “What do you mean he’s officially a teenager?!” One admirer added: “A teenager at last! Wishing Prince George a very Happy 13th Birthday! I hope he had a wonderful day, surrounded by his amazing family and friends.”
The same sentiment swept social media after George joined the Royal Family at Trooping the Colour to celebrate his grandfather King Charles’s official birthday last month. Viewers gushed that he is “growing up so fast” as he stood poised and confident, waving to cheering crowds from the carriage ride to Buckingham Palace beside his mother, sister Charlotte and younger brother Louis.
Royal observers were also impressed by George’s impressive height. When he accompanied Catherine to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire last month, a Kensington Palace video showed the mother and son inspecting fighter jets on the tarmac. The young prince was now standing just slightly below his 5 ft 9 in mother. Fans predicted he will “bypass Kate by Christmas” after he joined the Royal Family’s traditional Easter service in April, when the future heir already towered well above his father’s 6 ft 3 in shoulders. Social-media posts captured the moment: “I still can’t get over how tall Prince George is getting and he’s only 12.” Another user wrote: “Time slow down. You can see how tall Prince George is here, especially with Catherine wearing heels.”
George’s birthday comes just weeks after his final public outing to Wimbledon with his parents and sister. The siblings melted royal fans’ hearts by dashing out of the Royal Box at Centre Court in the final minutes of the Championships. Temperatures had climbed to 29 °C, so the family grabbed sunhats while George waved a handheld fan as Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev in the final match.
Ahead of the new academic year, royal expert Robert Jobson told the Daily Mail that Prince George’s time at Eton will be very different from his father’s. “William walked into Eton [at the age of 14] carrying his parents’ marital war. George walks in from a settled home,” Jobson explained. “The difference is everything.” The future King and Queen have gone further than ever to support their eldest son. George even asked if he could board weekly at Lambrook; his parents agreed. “It helped him grow, to be part of a collective,” the expert said.
George is clearly bright and passionate. He loves history. Standing before Henry VIII’s armour last October, William told him his son is “way better in history than I am.” George also plays football and hockey (his mother’s game) and supports Aston Villa like his dad — ready to cheer and celebrate in public. He has already faced real challenges: he watched his mother battle cancer and saw his grandfather live with the same illness. Those experiences have made him steadier. Being close to home, within the shadow of Windsor Castle, will give him extra protection at Eton, just as it helped his father thrive.
The portrait gallery of George’s birthdays tells a story of a boy who has always been in the spotlight. His fifth birthday photo — taken by Matt Porteous in the garden of Clarence House — shows him looking adorable in a white checked shirt and khaki gilet, leaning over a wooden gate with a bright smile. His fourth birthday portrait, captured by Chris Jackson, has him beaming straight at the camera. Even as a third birthday boy at the family’s Norfolk home, George was already the centre of attention.
More recently, Kate herself photographed George for his seventh birthday in a smart khaki polo neck. A few weeks before his eighth birthday she took another candid in Norfolk. For his ninth birthday he flashed a broad smile in a formal portrait; his tenth was not the usual Kate shot but a lovely image from Millie Pilkington. In 2024 Kensington Palace shared a striking black-and-white photo for his 11th birthday. Last year’s portrait, taken by Josh Shinner in Norfolk, shows George in a white checked shirt layered with a khaki gilet — the same outfit he wore for his 12th birthday. The latest portrait, by Matt Porteous, completes the story of a teenager who is growing up fast, confident and ready for the next stage of royal duty.
From the moment he first appeared in the Lindo Wing, George has been part of an extraordinary family journey. The image of him standing proudly beside his mother at Trooping the Colour, or leaning over a gate in Norfolk with that familiar cheeky grin, reminds us how quickly childhood passes. Yet every official portrait and public moment has shown the same steady presence: poised, well-mannered and clearly loved.
As he steps into his new life at Eton, Prince George will carry the support of his parents, the wisdom of his family and the many lessons learned through public life. Whether he is cheering at Wimbledon, inspecting planes at Coningsby or simply waving from a carriage, he has already earned the title of a young prince ready for whatever comes next. The world — and his own family — are excited to watch the next chapter unfold.
