Ahead of Prince George's eighth birthday tomorrow, a new photo taken by the Duchess of Cambridge in Norfolk was shared to mark the special occasion. The past year has seen periods of enormous change followed by a gradual return to normality for children in the UK. For George and Charlotte, it was homeschooling before a proper return to Thomas's Battersea. Now on summer break, I expect they are looking forward to enjoying a summer largely spent in Norfolk. The photo captures a smiling George, wearing a blue and orange striped shirt, on a Land Rover Defender. The choice of vehicle holds great significance for the family - the late Duke of Edinburgh partially designed a modified version of the Defender as his specially-built hearse.
You will all recall a very special photo of the late Duke and a two-year-old Prince George setting off for a carriage ride was shared shortly after Philip's passing.
One of my most vivid memories of royal watching will always be the announcement Kate had safely delivered a baby boy at the Lindo Wing on 22 July 2013. Now 'Baby Cambridge' is eight years old...
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 staring intently 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.
Thank you Charlotte for taking us through the past 8 years. George is a precious and nice looking young prince. William and Kate have done well with raising their sweet family.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! What a beautiful family!
DeleteWhat a darling photo of George! Sue
ReplyDeleteit’s really been eight years ? I love the Duchess's portraits. He looks happy and of course, he’s cute. Thank you Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteHe looks so grown up! Wow!
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see George grow.
ReplyDeleteI like the new photo and enjoyed a trip down memory lane looking at all the photos. I remember the days when I looked forward to seeing the birthday photo so I could see what he looked like and I'm glad that's no longer the case (because we see a bit more of him). I think it shows that the D & D of C are more settled in their public roles and more confident in their parenting - which is nice to see. (Obviously we are also more likely to see more of an older child than a baby/toddler but I'm pretty sure we've seen more of Prince Louis than we did of Prince George when he was that age, if you see what I mean). Anyway - I hope he has a lovely day celebrating with his lovely family.
ReplyDeleteLovely, so lovely! What a handsome, charming and happy lad. Thanks, Charlotte, for this delightful trip down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy birthday young prince 🤴 🥳🎂
ReplyDeleteHe will grow up to be a fine young man I am certain. He has wonderful genuine caring parents. I wish him many more birthdays filled with happiness and joy. How I wish Princess Diana had lived to share the joy of her grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteSharing his ice cream with the pup is so precious,
ReplyDeleteGoodness, he definitely has the best of both of his beautiful parents. So touching that he's sitting on the Land Rover for this year'sphoto. William and Catherine think of the dearest things.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Lori!! 😊 Well said!
Deletesuch a handsome Boy Happy 8th Birthday Prince George hope your day is extra special . thankyou for showing the lovely pictures of George
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to the young prince. Wonderful photo taken by his mother.
ReplyDeleteHe’s getting so big!
ReplyDeleteI used to work for my mom in a little shop she owned. When I heard Prince George was born I grabbed a pot and wooden spoon and ran outside announcing “It’s a boy!” Every woman on that street knew exactly what I meant and started clapping! We lived in the US, so he wasn’t ever going to be our king, but that’s HOW much we love The Cambridges.
Tammy what a great memory! There is definitely a 'Cambridge fan base' in the US, and I am proud to say I am one. Adore this family and what a lovely photo of this handsome young prince, who BTW looks more like William and a Spencer these days. Truly enjoy watching this family grow!
DeleteWhat a lovely memory, Tammy! 😍Thanks for sharing!
DeleteJust found this site, and I'm absolutely delighted. The joy, lov, and encouragement is always forthcoming from the beautiful Cambridge family. God bless you and love from the USA!
ReplyDeleteI think George looks alot like Diana's brother!!
ReplyDeleteHe does! Prince Willam, as a teen, also favored his Uncle Charles. I never noticed the likeness was this strong, before, wirh Geoege. I do enjoy watching children's photos change as they grow, favoring different family members, over the years. George is such a cute, handsome, young man, and beautiful family.
DeleteWhat an adorable child! Happy Birthday to His Royal Highness Prince George!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing his birthday picture!
ReplyDeleteAwesome pictures...He really has grown to be quite the young man... loved the picture the with George and his great grandfather Prine Phillip and how they honored him in is birthdays picture on this his 8th birthday...Thank You or sharing..Wendy
ReplyDeleteHmm prince george growing so fast the duchess of Cambridge nice photos and they look happy
ReplyDeleteWhat handsome sweet Prince! Kudos you William and Catherine for raising such wonderful kids. Wishing them all the best and Prince George the happiest of birthdays!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, George. What a great photo.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday George have a wonderful day with lots of fun 🎂🎉🎂🎉
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo, love seeing photos of the children on special occassions.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such precious photos of the Prince 💕
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Prince George
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to the young prince George have a blessed one
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and so precious
ReplyDeleteLovely post. I see so much of william in him for the first time with this photo!
ReplyDeleteI thought the same!
DeleteWhat beautiful photos of Prince George...may he be blessed on this birthday &many more to come.
ReplyDeleteA piece of British history before our eyes.. good luck and good health to Prince George...
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday from the Philippines
ReplyDeleteSo handsome!!! Looks like his dad and grandmother!!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and Happy Birthday George. Enjoy your special day with your family 🎂💝🦋🎁🎉
ReplyDeleteHe looks so much like his dad in this shot!
ReplyDeleteGreat job! Catherine and William.
DeleteBirthday greetings coming from Malta. Dear Prince George enjoy your special day. Greetings to all the family too.
ReplyDeleteThe Duchess takes some beautiful photos. She's great in front of and behind the camera. George looks very happy in his birthday photo. I imagine they have an amazing life in their country home. Hopefully they will travel to Balmoral to spend time with the Queen. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteI agree that he does look like William now. Can't believe it's been 8 years -- hard to believe all the little ones are growing up.
ReplyDeleteThey are fine photos. I know I am going to get grief for this, but they aren’t exceptional photos. You can find similar quality photos on instagrams and FB. The beauty of today’s digital camera is people are able to take a gazillion photos and find a few gems to showcase. People can edit their photos with a few clicks. It has made us all capable and able photographers.
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at photography by Stieglitz, Strand or Mann, there’s a sense of atmosphere, mood, and presence of the person or scene being captured. It has to be more than captured prettiness. That’s what I think is missing from the photos. I don’t fault Kate. It’s what she is allowed to present to the media and royal fans like us. I love that she’s interested in photography
and supports it. But from the content she is allowed to present to the public, it’s not the photos themselves that distinguished. Rather it’s the famous faces in front of the lens and the famous persona behind the lens which gives these photos their distinction.
Check her photos of the Holocaust survivors or her portraits of people from Pakistan.
DeleteI agree. I think the Pakistan photos were her best. The Holocaust survivor photos felt as if something was missing. But for an accomplished lay photographer she is doing a good job. Kate is not a professional. It’s not her job and I doubt she has that much free time to learn and push herself in that area. That’s fine and I think she has reached a very good level. It’s unfair to compare her to someone who is not just a professional but even a real artist and exceptional in their field. But it’s also over the top to act as if she is overly accomplished. She mostly snaps beautiful pictures of her children. And I don’t mean that negatively. They are nice pictures, but they are mostly not very candid. Especially compared to George’s first birthday pictures. And I get it. They protect their privacy and we very seldom get a look inside. I think it’s deliberate, and as she is not out to establish herself as an artist we might never be able to fully judge if we think she is is extremely talented or not. I admire that, I enjoy the pictures (personal favourite George’s first Christmas Portrait) but I don’t think we need to sign her up for the Taylor Wedding Photographic Portrait Prize (or one of the many other competitions).
DeleteC.
I never said she is extremely accomplished but I think we must not assume that the picture she shares of her children define all the pictures she takes. We don’t know what’s in her personal album and that’s ok. She takes photographs for her own pleasure, not to have people praising or criticizing them.
DeleteAnon 20.27
DeleteI’ll be blunt. She is a mother talking a picture of her son. It’s not meant to be anything more or less. In this day and age plus with all the death and destruction around the world just take a moment to appreciate the fact that a Mother took a picture of her happy, healthy 8 year old.
DDv
I personally am not sure why it is necessary to state whether or not the DOC'S photography is exceptional,or not, why is it important to do so? Do her photos bring joy, evoke emotion, stir memory, give cause for celebration or pause for somber consideration? Why is it necessary to compare the DOC to a few icons of photography? I have reflected upon my responses to her photos and find that those reflections are personally valuable. The DOC is not a professional photog and I doubt she is pretending to be such. Who knows... future photo critics/critiques may find her work exquisite and worthy of a place in the "canon". The holocaust survivor pics are stunning .. priceless moments captured.
DeleteThere is a tendency for fans to go over the top, such as when the female cousins appear somewhere and they are labeled "stunning" instead of just very pretty. Kate obviously enjoys photography and probably wishes she could carry around a camera and take many more photos -- I wish she could, too. I think she shows her subjects very well, and part of that may indeed be the camera. Her soft, warm photos of her children really are lovely for the family, for gifts to other family members, and for the public. They show all we can ever want to see of the kids, and that also keeps paparazzi photos from being sought. Regardless of George being an heir, I think that the interest in both William's and Harry's families in still driven by interest in Diana. And it's excellent that the children aren't chased for photos like William and Harry were.
DeleteI think the fallacy here is fans unintentionally setting up their favorite stars with OTT praises. You see this happening in the Olympics and the Euro Cup. It puts unnecessary pressure and ridiculous expectations on people. I blame it on these harsh times and how icons are created and used to further divide people which allows society to fall into chaos and power is controlled by very ruthless people.
DeleteI completely agree! :)
ReplyDeleteBecca USA
I can't get over how much he makes me think of William... I had never seen that before! :)
ReplyDeleteBecca USA
I have always seen a lot of William in him, and boy is it finally coming thru in photos! So glad we get to see these shots taken by Kate. Love the photo recaps!! Thanks Charlotte!!
ReplyDeleteI'm swimming against the tide here, but I think he looks very much like Michael Moddleton!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I can mention this, but I am a little bewildered by the cartoon The Prince being allowed to air. Understand freedom of speech, but this was created by the "Family Guy" person and that is a vile cartoon. Shouldn't an underage child be protected from satire like this?
ReplyDeleteI share your bewilderment and don't find this amusing in the least. Freedom of speech and satire aside, to target children is despicable. It's like nothing is sacred or off limits anymore, where are our boundaries? It's just bullying in another form IMO.
DeleteIt is bullying. We have in the US "roasts," political cartoons, opinions everywhere for people who chose to throw themselves into the public. Even having cartoon drawings of children is not OK, but making George act and speak on the show is awful. Oddly, some of the show's actors/actresses recently blasted having photos taken of their own children. :(
DeleteI am an over-the-top H&M fan but I find the satire of them to be very funny. I'm used to people, from celebrities to politicians, being roasted. No problem. The children did not ask to be famous, and their egos are developing. It should be against the law to do this to children. George is based on the baby Stewie from Family Guy, in my view, and that whole show is horrendous. We in the US do not hold back because of "respect," so the whole family is available for satire, including the Queen and PP. But I feel it is child abuse to target children.
ReplyDeleteI’m disgusted with that TV show. It is a revolting show and should not be allowed. Catherine and William must be devastated. I agree it is child abuse and I feel so sorry for those children.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a couple of weeks since your last post, I hope you are doing well Charlotte!
ReplyDeleteBorder Terrier lover
I hope you are okay. I haven’t seen any posts recently.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the cartoon video, but have seen some stills from it which show the Queen with an exaggerated hump on her back. This seems to me to be mocking an old woman in an unacceptable way. I also agree that children should be off limits although adults in public positions just have to accept that they will get derision along with unwarrented adulation.
ReplyDeleteThe show is similar to The Family Guy, which is a terrible show. There is no subject that is taboo. I actually am amused by what I saw about H&M (Harry being bewildered by an apartment and a refrigerator, which is just silly), and I am a "they are never wrong" fan. I guess I'm used to American mocking of the RF. They mock the Queen and PP, as well as all the other members. It's not OK to mock children, though, but being a US show, I don't think anything can be done.
DeleteCharlotte,
ReplyDeleteWe haven’t heard from you in awhile. I hope things are okay. I was curious if there would be a post on new photos of princess Charlotte.
E from Michigan US
Is all well with you, Charlotte? Concerned, for you, we haven't heard from you in awhile. I hope you are only on a lovely break! Warm regards!
ReplyDeleteHello Charlotte, there was a new photo released of Princess Charlotte for a butterfly count project. It is a beautiful photo by Kate and I was joping you would cover it here on the blog?
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte. I hope all is well with you. I've missed your wonderful blog. I only hope it is because of some wonderful reason like a vacation! Your readers miss you. Bless you.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I hope all is well with you, and yours and all are enjoying the summer months. Thank you for your continued, wonderful platform, always filled with great info, detailed history, and beautiful photos of the Cambridges. I also enjoy and appreciate everyone's comments and varying opinions on your posts. What a good, and seemingly, well informed audience! Thanks again, Charlotte, for doing what you do, so well. It's truly appreciated, by many!
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for your very thoughtful comments. Other commitments meant I was unable to check in over the past couple of weeks (though I have several partially written posts in drafts I hope to complete as the summer break continues :)). I'll have a new post later this evening catching up. I hope you're all having a great summer.
ReplyDeleteHooray! Here in Texas I’ve been feeling glum without your posts to brighten the day. :-D So thankful you are well, and will be back again soon. Much love!
DeleteHappy to hear that all is well, and was hoping it would be so. Was also hoping that either the duchess or you would peek in sometime.
DeleteAlthough I’ve checked in at least once-a-day, I didn’t read the comments. Hence my late reply.
You have said that you’ll post something on the 17th. I don’t see a new post. Wonder if something is wrong with my browser.
If you see this message, wishing you all the best in all for work and endeavors. Stay safe.
Thank goodness, Charlotte, that all is well with you! I'm grateful and look forward to more DKB in the future. Thanks for all you do!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that you are still with us Charlotte. I suppose with everyone on holiday, not really that much to report on. I hope you have enjoyed your time off. Looking forward to your next update. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteBeen thinking about you. I have been popping over daily to check if you've posted. Glad to see all is well with you.
ReplyDeleteHello, Dear Charlotte! I hope that you and your loved ones are all OK. Simply sending support and appreciation - winging it's way to you. Strength to you for your journey - whatever it may be.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I hope all is well with you. I so miss your posts. You are amazing at covering the Royal Family. Your blog is so respectful and well written. Again, I hope all is well with you and you will be back to writing again very soon. From across the pond, Cheryl
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Glad to hear you are well and just busy. This blog is one of my delightful indulgences. Love everything about it. Take care and looking forward to your next update
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your incredibly kind comments. I'll have a new post live within the hour :)
ReplyDelete