How grown up does George look? :)
In one of the images George wore a green camouflage shirt. In the second, the prince wore a Cotton Polo dark green shirt by Mango (with thanks to Kate's Royal Closet).
I can't quite believe Baby Cambridge is seven. To mark George's first birthday in 2014, photos of the prince with his parents were taken at the Natural History Museum's 'Sensational Butterflies' exhibition. The photo of him looking both apprehensive and determined when touching a butterfly on William's hand is one of my favourites.
To mark Prince George's second birthday, Kensington Palace released a new photo from Princess Charlotte's christening, taken earlier that month by Mario Testino. The prince is captured in his father's arms, smiling and leaning towards the camera.
Several lovely photographs taken by Matt Porteous were released for George's third birthday. The show-stealing photo from the set for me was the image of George and Lupo sitting on a rug outside. It captured a darling moment showing the Prince offering the family pet a taste of his ice-cream.
For George's fourth birthday, William and Kate chose a photo taken by Chris Jackson at Kensington Palace. Look at that smile :)
For his fifth birthday, Kensington Palace released a photo of the future king taken in the Clarence House garden by Matt Porteous after Louis' christening. The release followed the pattern of 2015 when Charlotte was christened at Sandringham in July and a photo taken with the official portraits was chosen to mark the Prince's birthday.
And last year, three new photos were shared, including one from Mustique showing the prince having a ball outside.
Sending George the happiest of birthday wishes!
Fantastic photos! The resemblance to the Spencers is definitely apparent, at least in my eyes. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteGosh I'm so embarrassed Nora... I always think Windsor/Middleton.... I forget about the Spencer side! (face palm!) His hair & the way it lies naturally is very much like his Grandmother Diana's! Yes I do believe he has Diana's hair! xoxo
DeleteBecca USA xoxo
I think going forward I'm going to try & think of Diana when I see his head of hair! :)
DeleteBecca USA
1. He looks like Edward VIII
ReplyDelete2. I don't know. You don't think they borrowed Uncle James Matthews private jet to spend some time in the Caribbean so the future king could have a beach birthday?
Well, England is an Island and it’s a warm summer. There is no reason George can’t have a beach birthday. British beaches can be very nice and you see children playing in the sand and in the water all around.
DeleteI don't think this is what Cambridges would do. Maybe only because of fearing bad press but I don't think they are going on vacation this year.
DeleteElla
Florida Moxie, I just said that in my post that will eventually appear below! (although I mistyped it initially!) I was wondering if anyone else would see that in him too? I think I said he had a whiff of his Great Great Great Uncle David... It's always so fascinating seeing family traits peak out as children grow & develop! Such a Windsor/Middleton combo.... tho I feel like the Windsor in him is continuing to come on stronger in him! William & Kate have done such a wonderful job raising these children & growing such a beautiful family with a balanced life, as comfortable in a Palace as outside mucking around!! :)
DeleteBecca USA :)
I doubt they will go on an overseas trip this summer, but it would be interesting to see if they will spend some time at Balmoral, like they usually do.
DeleteSince they always stay at a separate house on the estate and not the main house, they would be able to enjoy Balmoral without posing any risk to HM and the Duke. And they might even be able to have some appropriatly social distanced activities together.
I have thought that George looks like Edward VIII for awhile now. Unlike David, George has received good secure early family support & a good nanny.
DeleteWow...I never knew that James and Pippa had a private jet. How did you find this out? I do remember seeing them board the St. Barth Commuter jet as that company does scheduled and charter flights (I took one of their flights in the Grenadines). With all of the charter and jet-share programs it seems strange to own your own jet these days. Sam
DeleteI think they might go to Balmoral around the end of the holiday period. As regulations gets slowly lifted there is no reason they couldn't spend time with their grandparents and great grandparents anymore. No hugs obviously, but George and Charlotte are old enough to understand that. I find that the great grandparents are delighted to just watch the youngest generation while they play and go on about ordniary things.
DeleteI think it would be a great idea to start visiting different parts of the UK in the holidays (like the visit to the farm in Wales iirc). Doesn't mean they cannot still squeeze in two weeks at a luxery ressort in the Caribean. Getting to kow the country from a relaxed and private point of view, but also showing support and love for the country (not to mention the boost in publicity for the places afterwards) is never a bad idea. The UK has thousand of great places to stay and explore. It would be a fantastic way to connect to the land and the people apart fom being their royal family. And to experience the vast differences (North and South, England, Scotland, Wales, city and countryside...). The Queen/the Crown has a way to unite this sometimes fragile kingdom. Being one of the big symbols of commonality is a big part of the role. It will be interesting to see how Charles, Wiliam and George will position themselves.
Same goes for the Commenwealth. I posted a comment here or on MAM some time ago, where I bought up that maybe Australia and Canada are not only going to remove the British monarch as Head of State but also might loosen their ties to the Commonwealth. I got many (angry) responses about it being nonsense. It seems that at least in Australia those ideas seem to catch on pretty strong right now.
It will be interesting to see how Charles, Camilla, Wiliam and Kate will strengthen the Commonwealth ties but also concentrate on their actual kingdom to make sure there even is a BRF when Wiliam set his sights for the throne.
C.
Amner is just a short distance from the north coast of Norfolk with a lovely beach as well. It is summer in UK so there is every reason to suppose that the family takes the opportunity to visit the beach while they are there. And at Balmoral they have their own cottage which the Queen gifted to them years ago, so they can distance themselves from the older couple if they decide to visit Scotland. Re self distancing, it was obvious from Beatrice's wedding photographs that the royal family are taking great care not to risk the health of Elizabeth and Phillip. Visits to Commonwealth countries will be out for quite a while. For example, New Zealand is not allowing any non New Zealand citizens to visit and that would include the royal family. Their "actual kingdom" of course also refers to the realms which have the Queen as their head of state not just as head of the Commonwealth. I should also think the Queen is more popular in her realms at this time than many republican presidents who have been elected to office!
DeleteThank you Charlotte for this post reminding us of George's birthday. I never thought it before, but I swear he looks more like William in these photos. Good to see news again from the Cambridges, I miss them.
ReplyDeleteSheila, I agree with you. I never thought it before either, but I think you’re right... I see a lot of Prince William in him as he gets older. Seems to have his mannerism. Lovely pics.
DeleteA very typical seven year old in this photo not a future king. I appreciate the realistic photo of a happy little boy.
ReplyDeleteSo cute! The baby picture is my favorite too. The chubby dumpling hands!!!
ReplyDeleteI just LOVE these. I love watching these
ReplyDeleteLittle ones grow up! He looks so much older all of a sudden. I always feel he is Michael Middleton’s dopple ganger,
However I see some William in him in this picture. He has Kate’s little beauty marks.
Wishing George a very happy 7th Birthday :) Anna, Poland
ReplyDeleteUn magnifique petit prince qui respire la joie de vivre et l'intelligence!
ReplyDeleteJe suis toujours ravie de découvrir les photos "familiales" que la duchesse de Cambridge nous offre!
C'est vrai Thetis!! Il est certainement un petit prince qui respire la joie de vivre! :)
DeleteBecca USA
Such sweet photos. I do wish, they would also release a ofomal set of him, with his parents and siblings, and with HM, Charles and Wiliam for his birthday every year. I think it is nice to see such informal photos to remind everyone that George is indeed a lovely young boy with his own personality. But it can't hurt to point out his role in the Firm also. Especially because I can see Wiliam and Kate trying to give him as much time as possible and do their best to ensure a healthy sibling dynamic when his profile startes to increase.
ReplyDeleteC.
Happy Birthday Prince George. Have a wonderful birthday. He has certainly grown up.
ReplyDeleteHe looks very much like William in this photo, to me.
ReplyDeleteI so agree Allison & I actually see a whiff of Edward IV... I wonder if I'm the only one?
DeleteBecca USA
What the heck is my deal with not being able to type the right roman numerals for Edward VIII!? lol :) This is my 2nd correction! lol :)
DeleteBecca USA
I think CV messes with the brain connections. That and autocorrect. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Ha!
DeleteWhat a sweet boy! I see Grandpa Middleton and William In his face. Happy birthday, Prince George! 🎂🎈
ReplyDeleteWhat an adorable child. Wishing him a fun filled birthday.
ReplyDeleteoh these are adorable! I thought for really the first time that I'm starting to see some serious Middleton in him, when everyone has been saying that for a long time. I always just saw so much William. Now from the comments everyone else seems to see the William and I'm seeing the Middleton:)lol would be nice to see them as a family more than just at Christmas. understand why a photo with the queen is not doable at the moment but I hope the minute it is they get some pics of her with with George and his siblings. yes he is a little boy but still the future king. wishing George a wonderful 7th birthday!!
ReplyDeleteCaroline it's funny I feel the same. But now I see a perfect cross between Grandpa Middleton and Charles Spencer.
DeleteIt's ironic because I see Charlotte as pure Cambridge, and Louis as pure Middleton. George appears to have mix of both features.
Ahh Rita, i had to do a double take, i totally see what you are seeing! had not considered charles spencer before, but yes he does have a look about him! will be interesting to see how he settles. I agree about charlotte, see so much lady sarah chatto/windsor in her. Little louis is pure middleton. such cuties!
DeleteWow!! George is such a William/Middleton mix with a whiff of his Great Great Great Uncle David (King Edward III) about him!! To me at least! These 3 Windsor children are going to be Absolutely the Heart throbs & Beauty of their generation I predict! Beauty inside & out!! William & Kate are Amazing & all the years of focusing on their marriage, children & family unit has paid off in spades & will only continue to do so over the years to come!
ReplyDeleteI often have speculated, as many others have too, that HM wanted William & Kate to have that special time together in the early years of their marriage to put down roots & enjoy the type of life that she remembered having with PP when they were in Malta, etc before her father passed & she became Queen so young! Her investment in them... investing in themselves & their family may be one of her best decisions for the future of the House of Windsor!! She had an eye on the long game, as did William & Kate & boy, one can see how it's already paying off!! Bravo HM! Bravo Will & Kate & Wishing the Happiest of Birthdays to Dear Prince George!! :)
Becca USA xoxo
Well said Becca ! I agree, this was HM’s long game. I’m glad the children are allowed to be children. I enjoy the photos provided by the Duchess.
DeleteI agree, i have been pointing out the long game for it feels like years when everyone was complaining how she did not work enough and had nannies and didnt need to be there for her kids all the time:( these kids have a more stable foundation than the previous generations going back quite aways in my mind! kudos to them for raising their kids in a stable and loving home. makes for better well rounded adults.
DeleteI agree that Princess Elizabeth obviously relished the chance to be in Malta while Phillip was stationed there and Charles and Anne were very young. However as for the idea that she had a more ordinary private family life there, for some reason she didn't take either child with her but left them behind in UK for months with their nurses and nanny. Times have certainly changed!
DeleteOh Gosh... I think I mistyped about King Edward in my comment about George's looks, when I of course meant King Edward VIII!
ReplyDeleteBecca USA
A happy, healthy, handsome little man!
ReplyDeleteYes! :))
DeleteHappy birthday to the handsome future king of England, Prince George.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to see the happy little boy grow up every year. I just love the gappy, skew teeth, just like any boy his age.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to admit I find the selectuon of photographs very interesting. They are almost bland. It is no criticism, we had some lovely pictures of the kids over there the last few months. I just find it interesting that it was obvious a lot of planning went into the rainbow set for Louis birthday and the same can be said for the pics from Williams birthday. While this set looks a bit like Kate remembered yesterday they need some pics, so she grab George and her camera and took a few shots. Maybe they are having too much fun and Kate really forgot. Or maybe George is rebelling against his happy-snappy mom and this is the best she could get.
I would love to know the reasons behind their choice of photos.
RachelZA, maybe the top photo was chosen because he reminds Kate of William. That sideward look is one I know I've seen of William, and that tousled hair looks like the really nice hair William used to have.
DeleteVery good point. I did not even think of that angle.
DeleteRachelIZA, I see what you mean about the almost bland/ordinary shots. Interesting. I could see wanting to share some very casual down to earth images of someone who will have plenty of very formal photos over the years. It also pushes the idea of his being a a young child enjoying the typical summer activities and not the focus on "who he is" and the fact that he already lives a very privileged and unique life.
DeleteOne thing I've noticed is that in the early years both George and Charlotte dressed up in very formal, frilly clothes for pictures. The recent pictures have them in more casual clothes. Charlotte especially.
DeleteI think it's a combo of kids growing up and wanting to dress their way instead of their parents' way, and an evolution of parenting style. In the beginning they might have been more uptight and didn't want a hair out of place but now they're more relaxed.
I think there a many valid ideas about that. As ali mentioned- making him being seen as an ordinary young child could serve several puposes. (1) People feel like they get a glimps of the "real" George. The public loves that. (2) It also reminds them that he is in fact a young child, so they fuel a sentiment of protection against meadia overdrive. Those children are no circus ponys to entertain the public. (3) They are pretty bland and therefore don't reveal anything about him. We see no activity or toys, no surroundings. So they are very intimate but on the same side protecting is privacy to a maximum.
DeleteI still think they need to get a more serious set. Maybe take a weekend when the whole extended family is together (Balmoral) and get several different set ups done (Siblings, core family, extended family, Queen and successors, grandparents with grandchildren, great grandparents with the children, single and group shots). They could be released with birthdays through the year. Two days "work" for a year long profit.
Rachel, I think there is a strategy behind what seems like an selection of everyday pics of an everyday boy..... How will the county Not be able to see George as a "King of the people", when they've watched this regular boy grow up!? :) It sounds very calculated the way I phrased it.... but I think it goes a long way to project the image & reality of the life William & Kate have wanted for George all along.... to have roots in a regular life & not in the bubble of a pampered Prince in a Palace. (just my 2 cents)
DeleteThink of the difference in how George is being raised (& how he's being introduced to his future realm via these pics over the years) compared to Charles & subsequently William!? :) The Kate touch... & I'm extremely sure the choices & the tone have been vetted by HM & The Palace! :) This is the future King of England.
Becca USA
As I suspected there was a reason these pictures are so “bland” for lack of a better word. KP just released a teazer about new pictures of George & Charlotte later tonight.
DeleteC. and Becca USA, I think you are right on the image that Kate wants to convey. I like your phrase "the Kate touch" which is very different from the many posed pictures Diana took with her sons through the years. Kate's pictures seem to be about the child, without props and captures a happy, healthy glimpse of the 'real' child. When I look at the pictures, I wonder what memory it will evoke for the family years later and that's what I think Kate is going for, IMO. I also like this new trend of posting photos of the children in increments, night before birthday, day of, etc. (although I was expecting one more of George :P). With that being said, I agree with C in that I hope that they are taking more formal/serious family photos for the future along with the candid ones.
DeleteIvy Lin- interesting remark. I think several things might be at play here. It feels as if Wiliam has finally found a way to relax in his relationship with press and public. That is a very promising development. How and how much to share was a massive and controversial topic since George’s birth. I found that they put the children in those, while adorable, still dated clothes for public engagements to help them identify when to behave a certain way. We haven’t seen them for official public engagements since the Christmas walk, and we are spoiled to photos taken in a more private setting. They were probably dressed like everyone else in privat since the beginning- we just didn’t see it much. I am sure they will be polished again when they have to “work” alongside their parents with professional photographers present.
DeleteI am very happy Wiliam and Kate stuck to their principles when press and public vilified them for “hiding/withholding” their children. As if there was a right to them. Now, they are on top of it and we get more glimpses then ever.
But I agree, children grow up and choose their own style. It will be interesting to see what they wear in the years to come.
C.
I think all the above ideas factor in to Kate's clothing choices for her children- especially that they are old enough now to say, "Hey Mum! Nobody dresses like that anymore"
DeleteI also recall the difference in how I dressed my oldest child at first, compared to the successive siblings. My oldest was the first grandchild on one side, as George was, although not in line for the throne. Ha! The Aunties sent boatloads of fancy outfits, which I felt more or less obligated to use. Plus, I was having fun playing dress-up with my first baby.
I think we are seeing a reflection of the Kate that instructed Vogue magazine that she did not want a photo-op in full princess regalia. We saw very casual photos of her in country attire. Some of this must trickle down to children's outfits. After all, she is the one raising them.
Many of those formal outfits were William's. Kate chose them primarily for commemorative, formal photos including the Queen.
What a beautiful boy!! Happy Birthday George! Your parents have all reason to be proud. Best wishes and blessings. :))
ReplyDeleteWhat great pic's. He is a very lovely boy and happy ready for fun at any time. A very happy 7th Birthday to Prince George.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday George! 🥳 He looks very much like his uncle James Middleton to me :) Such a sweet, handsome little boy...he’s growing up fast!
ReplyDeleteoh boy he looks like a mixture of his mother side and his father side ax well oh he all grown up fast hmm wishing him good health and have a respect with elders and fear in god
ReplyDeletehappy bday little prince!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, Prince George looks like his uncle James Middleton! A very big and gorgeous smile. I wish George all the best for a fun birthday! 🎂
ReplyDeleteRoyal 👑 Watcher
What a sweetcheeks. Between him and my grandson it would be like a Tornado, fun fun and fun.
ReplyDelete