Why next week is special for Prince George

Prince George has a lot to look forward to with his twelfth birthday less than a week away. 

The young royal will turn twelve on 22 July, and the Wales family will likely spend the day celebrating privately. 

However, like past birthdays, it’s expected that the family will release a new portrait of Prince George to celebrate the special occasion. Last year, the picture was taken by mum Kate in Windsor and showed the young prince sitting on a stone bench as he leans slightly forward and smiles at his mother behind the camera.

© The Princess of Wales

The prince was dressed in a smart jacket and a white shirt, also sported a beaded bracelet on his left wrist. The caption read: "Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today!" 

George’s twelfth birthday will also mark his last year in his current school, Lambrook. The school educates children up to Year 8, typically aged 13, and George is expected to complete his time there in the summer of 2026. 

© WireImage

It is widely believed that he will go on to attend Eton College, following in the footsteps of both his father, Prince William, and his uncle, Prince Harry. 

The prestigious Eton College, whose alumni include Eddie Redmayne, George Orwell, and Boris Johnson, is just down the road from the family’s Windsor-based home, Adelaide Cottage, a charming, historic residence. 

© Getty Images

In 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with their three children, moved into the royal residence near Windsor Castle. "The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be 'extremely happy' in this relatively ordinary home in the grounds," he writes, adding that a royal official revealed: "They are there as a family with total privacy and without lots of staff," royal expert Robert Hardman has said. 

All about George

Prince George Alexander Louis was born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London, at 4.24 pm on 22 July 2013, weighing 8lb 6oz. He made his debut in front of the world's media on the hospital steps one day later, wrapped in a white merino wool shawl, cradled in his mother's arms. 

© Getty

He will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror to wear the crown if he follows the reigns of his grandfather, the King, and then his father, William. 

George was christened on 23 October in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, with Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, among those chosen to be one of his godparents.