Kate Middleton and Prince William Share a Sweet New Portrait of Prince George to Celebrate His Birthday

Prince George is celebrating his 12th birthday today!

In what has become a family tradition, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a new photo of their eldest son to social media on Tuesday. The young royal looked very much like his father, with a white and blue windowpane-checkered button down shirt and a dark green fleece vest. The prince is seen leaning against a wooden gate in a sunlit, woodland setting. The photo was credited to photographer and videographer Josh Shinner.

The Waleses also shared a video of George and his siblings, captured at their home in Norfolk this past April. (The same photoshoot was used for both Prince Louis’s 7th birthday and to celebrate Prince William on Father’s Day.)

In years past, Kensington Palace has released new photos of the children ahead of their birthdays, providing it to the press in advance. Last year, however, during Kate’s ongoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, the Prince and Princess of Wales started to share their children’s birthday photos directly to their social media accounts—starting with Prince Louis’s 6th birthday—a practice they have since continued.

An avid photographer, Kate has often taken many of the birthday portraits of her three children over the years. While the Princess of Wales took a photo of Princess Charlotte earlier this year, for example, Prince Louis’s birthday portrait in 2025 was also credited to Shinner.

Prince George is second in line to the British throne after his father, Prince William. George’s sister, Princess Charlotte, turned 12 on May 2. She recently wore a bracelet at Wimbledon with a charm featuring her birthstone (emerald for May). It was the third trip to the Grand Slam tournament for each of the siblings, although not always the same year. Their younger brother, Prince Louis, celebrated his 7th birthday on April 23.