Prince George Grins in New Portrait Taken by Kate Middleton for 11th Birthday

The prince dressed formally, with one playful accessory to show he is on summer vacation.

By Michael Hein

The British royal family is celebrating a big birthday for its future monarch Prince George. On Monday, July 22, the prince turned 11 years old, and his family marked the occasion with a brand new portrait. The picture was taken by Kate Middleton herself.

Prince George is the eldest son of Prince William, and is directly in line to become king one day. Royal admirers have watched him grow up year after year in portraits published on his birthday each year, and this is no exception. The latest image of the prince was taken in black and white, and shows him in a white shirt with a dark blazer, as well as an enthusiastic smile. The official account for the Prince and Princess of Wales posted a larger version of the photo on their Instagram Story, which revealed some kind of braided bracelet on the prince's wrist.

Commenters were eager to send their well-wishes to Prince George. One person wrote: "I can't believe you're already 11! I swear it feels like it was just yesterday I was waiting for your arrival. Thank you to the Princess of Wales for this georgeous picture!" Another added: "Happy Birthday Prince George!!! I can't believe how big he's gotten!!!"

Middleton established the yearly tradition of birthday portraits when Prince George was born, and continued it with his siblings. The latest portrait of 9-year-old Princess Charlotte was posted on May 2, and the latest portrait of 6-year-old Prince Louis was posted on April 23. However, aside from these pictures the celebrations themselves are usually held out of the public eye with no press or fanfare.

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Middleton's photography has been in the headlines between her last birthday portrait and this one. On Mother's Day, she published a photo of herself with her children, but viewers quickly determined that it had been digitally altered. Middleton confirmed that in a statement published by PEOPLE, saying: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."

Middleton is in an uncertain position now as she has resumed some public-facing duties, but is generally not working due to her ongoing cancer treatment. The Princess of Wales has said that she intends to prioritize her fully recovery before taking on her previous workload, and she has only stepped out a few times in the last few months. Because of her request for privacy, the details of her condition and her treatment have been kept under wraps. 

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