Prince George Looks All Grown Up in 13th Birthday Portrait

Prince William and Princess Catherine shared two very different sides of their eldest son's big day: a polished new portrait and a playful beach video. Together, the posts gave royal watchers a rare split-screen look at George growing up.

Prince George of Wales is officially a teenager. Princess Catherine and Prince William turned to social media on Wednesday, July 22, to celebrate their eldest son's thirteenth birthday with a brief but heartfelt tribute.

"Happy 13th Birthday, George! 🎉," the couple wrote alongside a new portrait of the young royal.

In the image, George cut a sharp figure in a tailored dark navy suit, paired with a crisp white button-down shirt left open at the collar, tie-free. His hair was swept back in a neat side part.

The photo was taken indoors near a staircase, with George standing with both hands tucked into his trouser pockets. A large window and exposed brick wall filled out the background, giving the portrait a relaxed, modern edge.

The post quickly drew a flood of birthday messages from fans and longtime royal followers.

"Can't believe he's a teenager!!! 13 😍😍 Happy Birthday George!" one admirer cheered. Another wrote, "Such a lovely grown up portrait. Hope he has a absolutely wonderful day ❤️."

A third commenter gushed, "Happy Birthday, George! How fast has that time flown?! I hope you have a wonderful day ❤️," while someone else chimed in, "13 and as tall as his mama. Happy Birthday Prince George!"

Later that day, the Prince and Princess of Wales surprised followers with never-before-seen footage showing George spending time with his parents, siblings, and family dogs on a beach.

The video offered a refreshing contrast to the formal portrait, capturing the newly minted teen dressed casually and clearly at ease, far from the usual spotlight. In the clips, George wore a blue T-shirt and teal-and-gray patterned shorts, going barefoot in the sand with sunglasses on.

One moment showed him swinging a bat at a red cricket ball, while another captured him carefully climbing rocky cliffs alongside his younger brother, Prince Louis, 8.

"Thank you for all the birthday wishes for George today!🎂," the caption read. George's birthday arrives just as he prepares to enroll at Eton College, his father's alma mater, to begin senior high school.

For now, the young prince is savoring his final long summer break before starting this next chapter. Once he begins at Eton, George will no longer share daily lessons with his younger siblings, Louis and Princess Charlotte, 11, with whom he's been educated up to this point.

Although that marks a departure from the tradition of royal children attending single-gender schools, George is nonetheless following in his father's footsteps by attending the same boarding school William once did.

A source close to the family shared, "George has always wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps."

Catherine and William have consistently worked to shield George and his siblings from the intense attention that comes with his future role as king, choosing instead to keep him grounded while slowly easing him into public life.

Royal author Robert Jobson told HELLO, "In the blink of an eye, George will be 18 and they must know that these years will fly by…"

"They've done a very good job bringing up the children and focusing on their own family unit. Despite all the other drama going on in the family, they rise above it, and seeing them out there together at events like Wimbledon is just a really positive, lovely image."