It feels like only yesterday that the Prince and Princess of Wales, then known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, stood beaming on the steps of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in 2013, introducing their newborn son to the world.
However, this year marks 12 years since the birth of Prince George, and royal watchers are already wondering what the family will do to celebrate the event.
The future King and Queen are always careful of how much they reveal about their children to the public, so it’s fair to assume that we won’t get a glimpse into how the soon-to-be-teenager will be celebrating.
Although the family doesn’t share much about their private life beyond official events and duties, they always treat their fans to a new picture to mark birthdays and special occasions, so we expect a new portrait of the young Prince, probably taken by his mother.
Last year, the image shared on Instagram for George’s 11th birthday was taken by his mum, Kate, in Windsor. The beautiful black and white portrait showed the second in line to the throne looking sleek, dressed in a suit and shirt, sitting on a stone bench, smiling at the Princess of Wales, who stood behind the camera. At the time, the Instagram caption read simply: "Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today!"
© The Princess of WalesPrincess Kate is a keen and talented photographer, and most of the family pictures shared in recent years have been taken by her.
For Prince Louis’ 7th birthday in May, the royal couple shared a portrait taken by photographer Josh Shinner, who also captured the stunning Father’s Day image of Prince William with his children. However, for Princess Charlotte’s 11th birthday on May 2, they released a more personal shot, an image taken by her mother, showing the young Princess smiling while walking outdoors.
We can’t help but wonder what a pre-teen born to become a King might wish for, but such details are likely to remain a family secret.
The royal couple has always kept details of their children's lives private. When previously asked about Prince George’s birthday, and more specifically, his birthday gifts, the Prince of Wales gave an elusive answer.
© GettyIn 2016, when George was only three years old, William and Kate visited Portsmouth for the America's Cup Series.
During the event, Zak Kay, a young prize winner, asked William what Prince George got for his birthday, since the milestone had occurred only a couple of days before.
To the straightforward question, William replied, "What did he get for his birthday? I'm not telling." Before wrapping up the conversation with a brief, "He got too many things. He's far too spoilt."
This year will also be the last one at Lambrook for Prince George, who’s expected to attend Eton next year, just like his dad, Prince William, and uncle, Prince Harry, before him.
