KEY POINTS
- Prince George is all smiles in his new birthday portrait, taken by mom Kate Middleton
- The third in line to the British throne posed on the hood of a Land Rover in a striped shirt and shorts for his latest photo
- Royal fans wished Prince George a happy birthday and said he was the spitting image of a young Prince William
Kate Middleton and Prince William's eldest son Prince George is growing up!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared a new portrait of their eldest child to celebrate his eighth birthday this Thursday. The photo was captured by Middleton, who takes and shares pictures of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for their birthdays every year.
"Turning eight(!) tomorrow," read the caption of the portrait shared on the royal couple's Twitter and Instagram accounts.
In the snap, Prince George is all smiles while sitting on the hood of a Land Rover. He is dressed casually in a navy polo shirt with orange stripes and blue shorts.
Prince George's portrait has received nearly 1 million likes across social media platforms. Royal fans and netizens also wished the young royal, who is third in line to the British throne, a happy birthday and noted how he is taking after his father in looks.
"Aw he is so big and I love his huge smile for his mummy happy birthday sweet Prince George! I wish you all the best, a fun day surrounded by your loved ones and a wonderful year!! We all love you," one Twitter user commented with red heart emoji.
"Oh my goodness look how much he resembles his Dad..and grandmother. Happy Birthday, young Prince!" another netizen commented on Instagram.
"Happy happy birthday sweet boy you're going to make a great king someday enjoy your special day tomorrow.. you handsome," a third user wrote.
"He looks so much like William! Happy Birthday, George, have a lovely day!! We love you so much!" another person commented.
The photo release came days after a royal expert suggested that Middleton and Prince William may break tradition and not release a portrait for Prince George's birthday this year.
During an appearance on True Royal TV’s "The Royal Beat," royal biographer Angela Levin claimed that the royal couple was "upset" over nasty online comments targeting Prince George's appearance on past birthday portraits.
"There are rumors that we might not see the photograph [of Prince George] when he’s eight, because they’ve been so upset by the rudeness of people mocking a little boy aged seven, and I hope they can overcome that," said the author of "Harry: A Biography of a Prince."
Prince George has been making more public appearances with Prince William and Middleton in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, he appeared with his parents at the Euro Final in England, where he caught the attention of royal fans. Prince George wore matching outfits with his father, looking dapper in a navy blazer, blue oxford shirt, striped tie and trousers.
Prince George is interested in becoming a member of the police force. Pictured: Middleton, Princes William and George look on while visiting the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum on July 2, 2014 in London, England. Photo: Getty Images/John Stillwell - WPA Pool
