It’s hard to believe it’s already in double digits.
But Prince George is smiling confidently for the camera and suddenly looking more mature than ever as he celebrates his 10th birthday on Saturday.
Always a little shy in front of the cameras, the future king looks remarkably relaxed and composed as he poses for his favorite professional photographer Millie Pilkington in Windsor earlier this month.
The image was reportedly shared by his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, to celebrate their eldest son’s birthday and to thank the public and media for the support and respect for privacy their young family has received.
George is the spitting image of his father, dressed in the plaid shirt, chinos and brown suede lace-up brogues that William also favors as a smart/casual look.
Prince George smiles confidently for the camera and suddenly looks more mature than ever as he celebrates his 10th birthday on Saturday
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But his sparkling hazel eyes belong exclusively to his mother.
Like his eight-year-old sister Princess Charlotte and five-year-old brother Prince Louis, he is a pupil at Lambrook in Berkshire.
The Mail understands the children have all settled in “very well” at their new school and are loving life in Windsor, where they now live in Adelaide Cottage on the royal estate.
George has represented his school at cricket this term and is proving to be an exceptional swimmer and sailor, talents he inherited from both his parents.
In recent weeks he has appeared at the Wimbledon Final, the Royal International Air Tattoo and played a key role as Page of Honor at his grandfather’s coronation.
All this is part of his parents’ plan to slowly and carefully introduce the future monarch to life on the public stage and at the same time to enable him to have as happy, carefree and sheltered a childhood as possible.
Last month George was seen with his parents attending Eton College and touring the private school, which costs £45,000 a year and is a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle.
Last year, the Chron exclusively revealed that he was due to join his father’s former boarding school at the age of 13.
A picture of Prince George just before he turned one with his parents during a visit to the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in July 2014. The picture was released to mark his first birthday. Prince George was photographed grinning in his official fifth birthday portrait. Meanwhile, he appeared at the Wimbledon Men’s Finals this summer alongside his parents
A source said: “It’s a natural decision, it always has been.” “Living in Windsor is a very long-term decision for Wales.”
This comes after it was revealed that George will not be expected to do military service before becoming king, in a break with centuries-old tradition.
The second heir to the throne will be allowed to avoid regular service in the armed forces if he so chooses, The Mail on Sunday reckons, giving him the freedom to shape his own destiny.
It would be a significant farewell for the royal family as the monarch is the supreme commander of the British armed forces. George’s father, uncle, grandfather, great-grandmother, and great-grandfather all served in the military, abiding by centuries-old precedent.
Historian Dominic Sandbrook wrote in that newspaper earlier this month: “The tradition of royalty joining the armed forces, even for brief periods, gives the monarchy crucial legitimacy.”
But ahead of Prince George’s tenth birthday on Saturday, a long-time friend of George’s father, Prince William, said: “In theory, there’s nothing stopping George from pursuing, say, a career as an astronaut if he wants to, and eventually becoming king.”
“The rules are different now, he wouldn’t necessarily have to follow the old formula of going into the military and then going into royal life.”
The Cambridges (pictured William with his three children) have started a new life in the country, moving to Adelaide Cottage on the Queen’s Windsor estate last year. AGE 8: This eighth birthday photo of Prince George shows him sitting in a SUV, synonymous with his great-grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh
“For example, could Charlotte qualify as a doctor?” I don’t see why not. It’s less of a fishbowl now than it was when William and Harry were growing up.’
The historian Hugo Vickers said, “This is significant because it shows that times are moving on.” I am for moving with the times as long as you don’t overthrow tradition.
“Maybe the military doesn’t prove to be the best path for Prince George, although I would hope he gets something like the Duke of Edinburgh’s gold award instead, which isn’t competitive.”
“For King Charles, his naval service was very helpful in the 1970s.” It showed the country that he was employed and that he would not use his title for commercial gain.
Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born at 4:24pm on 22 July 2013 in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London and weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces.
He made his public debut a day later in front of the world’s media on the hospital steps, wrapped in a white merino wool scarf and in his mother’s arms.
As the Queen’s great-grandson, he will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror attained the crown of England when he is expected to take over the reigns of his grandfather, the Prince of Wales, and then his father William.
Prince George’s unforgettable moments in photos: from wrapped in a blanket on the steps of the Lindo Wing to cheering on England at Wembley Stadium
When George was born, Kate Middleton followed in Princess Diana’s footsteps and set foot on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital for the first time – which she did when all her children were born. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pictured with newborn Prince George on July 23, 2013 in a photo released in 2014 to mark his first birthday. He wears striped dungarees and walks over stones. Its royal cuteness! One-year-old Prince George beamed as he played with a toy during a playgroup at Government House in Wellington House in New Zealand on April 9, 2014. Prince George – the eldest son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – donned a baby blue ensemble as he was pictured in the arms of his father Prince William at his second Trooping the Color on June 13, 2014 on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. king of the hill! Two-year-old Prince George was photographed falling at the Gigaset Charity Polo Match at the Beaufort Polo Club on June 14, 2015. Cautious mum Kate made sure to cover her son’s ears with noise-cancelling headphones to protect his hearing when he was in a particularly noisy environment. Pictured is Price George on his first birthday. George is pictured with Prince William in a picture released for his second birthday. The photo was taken in the gardens of Sandringham House and was part of the official photo series taken by Mario Testino following Princess Charlotte’s christening. During the 2016 Canadian tour, then three-year-old George was pictured smiling while playing with some bubbles at a children’s tea party at Government House in Victoria on September 29, 2016. A royal wave! George has grown increasingly serious in front of the press, but in 2016, at the age of three, he gave the media a cute wave. Pictured departing Victoria Harbor to board a seaplane on the final day of their Royal Tour of Canada on 1st October 2016. Merry Christmas! George held his father’s hand on Christmas morning 2016 while his sister Charlotte, then 1.5 years old, was carried in her mother’s arms. Pictured in Englefield on December 25, 2016 Run George Run! As an active little boy, the prince is often photographed playing around and running, as he did at the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy at Beaufort Park on June 10, 2018 (pictured). At Prince Louis’ christening on July 9, 2018, Prince George and Charlotte were seen holding their father’s hand. Everyone smiles! Prince George also sported his gap-toothed grin in his official portrait for his fifth birthday. George put on a serious show when he attended Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on October 12, 2018. George the prankster! The young prince was pictured pranking his cousin Isla Phillips at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on the day of Princess Eugenie’s wedding on October 12, 2018. Naughty page boy! The birthday girl couldn’t contain her excitement during Princess Eugenie’s wedding on October 12, 2018 in Windsor – and was pictured with her hand over her mouth in shock. On the Cambridge family’s official Christmas card for Christmas 2018, George showed his playful side alongside a more reserved Charlotte and a happy baby. Louis Prince George helping his father William light a fire at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London on May 19, 2019, four, ahead of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London while Prince William plays with youngest son Louis in the background. Prince George and Princess Charlotte, four, play together while attending the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day at Billingbear Polo Club in Wokingham on July 10, 2019. Hanging out in the trunk of the car: George and Charlotte were spotted playing together all day. Later, the siblings played soccer while Prince Louis ran around in the background just ahead of them. Prince George and Princess Charlotte at Kensington Palace traveled to Thomas’s Battersea for their first day of school in September 2019. Prince George accompanied his family members to the NHS Clap for Carers during the coronavirus lockdown from their home in Anmer Hall (pictured with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in March 2020). George posed with his father, grandfather and great-grandmother for this shot of Four Monarchs, taken in January 2020. Prince George sported a huge grin and windswept blonde locks in his new dress in birthday photos taken by Kate Middleton. In another picture, the heir to the throne can be seen beaming at his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, from behind the camera as she snaps a photo for his seventh birthday. George was also pictured with his parents, brother and sister in their 2020 Christmas card. Kate, 39, a keen amateur photographer, also shares a photo of her children Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis (pictured with Prince William). For Father’s Day, Prince George, seven, and Princess Charlotte, six, revealed they are following in their mother’s footsteps with their love of high street fashion when they performed at Sandringham on Father’s Day 2021. George, who has been described as “crazy about football”, was pictured in an England shirt ahead of Euro 2020 this month. Prince George stole the spotlight when he joined his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to cheer for the Three Lions in the historic Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium this month when he was 8! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared this sweet photo for the child’s eighth birthday. Prince George with his family in the official Cambridge Christmas 2021 photograph, taken while on holiday in Jordan in autumn 2021. Prince George and Prince William will visit Cardiff Castle in June for the Platinum Jubilee. It was one of his first public tours with his father. Prince George bakes with his sister Princess Charlotte and brother Prince Louis during the weekend’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The boy loved every minute of the platinum competition during the platinum anniversary celebrations and couldn’t contain his excitement. A delightful photo of the Queen with her great-grandson Prince George standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the end of the weekend’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Prince George attends the final of the Wimbledon Men’s Single in July with his mother and father, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
“Military service gives members of the royal family a taste of normal life, grants them a degree of freedom, and teaches them all sorts of time-keeping and presentation skills that prove important in royal duties.”
“What clearly doesn’t work are the cases where members of the royal family do commercial ventures.” It always goes wrong.’
George showed his first interest in the military at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday. He was given the task of partially raising the ramp of a huge C-17 transport plane and was happy to sit in the cockpit and “flip some switches”.
However, his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, were determined to give him as ‘normal’ an upbringing as possible – which apparently includes the freedom to pursue his own interests as he grows up.
Mr Sandbrook added: “Military service is the ultimate tradition leading royal youngsters out of their sheltered lives of impossible privilege.” But he admitted: “Times change, and so do institutions… Who can blame them if they’d rather pursue another profession?”
General Sir Richard Barrons, former chief of Joint Forces Command, said: “I think the armed forces will find that a bit unfortunate, but that’s all they will think.”
But he added that military service is a useful way for a young king to serve “in the years between growing up and assuming the royal mantle.” And Royal biographer AN Wilson spoke out against the idea, saying: “This is a very big change from the way it’s always been done and I think he should be told, ‘Sorry, you can’t make up your mind.’
“It actually feels like a snub to the armed forces.” There could be another way Prince George does a stint in the army and then becomes an artist or a pastry chef or whatever interests him. In what may seem trivial, it also helps to have a uniform, otherwise we might as well have a president in a suit as our head of state.”