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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Prince George's new birthday picture shows him looking grown up in a suit and open-necked shirt, reflecting the transformation from newborn future king to teenager over the past 13 years.
George was born on July 22, 2013, at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 6oz. The following day, Prince William and Kate Middleton emerged from the Lindo Wing carrying their newborn son, allowing waiting photographers to capture the first images of the future king.
In the 13 years since, George has transformed through childhood into a teenager ready to begin a key new stage of his life, at boarding school Eton College.
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Why It Matters
Unlike most public figures, royals live in the public eye from birth, allowing royal watchers to follow George's development throughout his childhood.
Now a teenager, George was photographed in a suit for his birthday portrait, a notable departure from the more casual images that have previously marked his milestones.
Prince George's Development Through His Early Years
Prince George's birth brought media outlets from around the country and the world to London, where photographers and television crews from around the world gathered outside St Mary's Hospital, some perched on ladders and others holding cameras above their heads.
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George was christened at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace in October 2013 and took part in his first overseas royal tour in April 2014, when he joined William and Kate on a three-week trip to New Zealand and Australia. The tour marked George's introduction to international audiences and provided an early glimpse of his future public role.
In 2014, William and Kate marked his first birthday with a photo of the prince playing at the Natural History Museum, in London, on July 2, 2014, where he had visited an exhibition about butterflies.
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George became a big brother in May 2015 when Princess Charlotte was born. Over the following years, William and Kate involved their children in carefully selected public engagements while attempting to provide a normal family life behind palace walls.
In 2016, George joined his parents for a tour of Canada, and in 2017 accompanied them to Poland and Germany, giving him experience of official overseas visits from an early age. It also enabled William and Kate to undertake overseas tours without being separated from their children.
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Prince George Starts School
In September 2017, George began school at Thomas's Battersea, in south London, where he was photographed on his first day, wearing his uniform. William held his hand as they walked past a small media contingent and into the school.
In April 2018, George's younger brother Prince Louis was born and William brought the prince and Charlotte to the St Mary's Hospital to say hello to the new arrival.
Just weeks later, George took on one of his first significant ceremonial duties as a page boy at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding at Windsor Castle, in May 2018. Alongside Charlotte, he was part of the bridal party during one of the most-watched royal events of the century.
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Grieving Queen Elizabeth II
George grieved in public as he attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022, alongside Charlotte and his parents, but not younger brother Louis, who was considered too young.
Elizabeth's death also brought significant changes to the line of succession. His grandfather became King Charles III, his father became Prince of Wales and George moved to second in line to the throne.
Elizabeth's death aged 96 came a day after George, Charlotte and Louis had their first day at Lambrook School, having moved house to Adelaide Cottage, in Windsor, from Kensington Palace.
A Role at King Charles' Coronation
One of the most significant public roles of his life so far came during the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023. Two months before his tenth birthday, George served as one of the King's Pages of Honour, helping carry the monarch's robes during the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
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George has also become a regular fixture at Trooping the Colour, joining his siblings in the royal carriage procession and appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
As the years have passed, he has started joining his parents at Remembrance events and has also developed a reputation as a keen sports fan, accompanying William and Kate to football and rugby matches, and watching the tennis at Wimbledon.
Recent years brought new challenges for the Wales family. In 2024, Kate announced she was undergoing cancer treatment and George was by her side during her first public appearance of the year, Trooping the Colour, in June.
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William and Kate sought to shield their children by delaying the announcement until school broke up for the holidays. However, it was a photo of Kate alongside her children, including George, released for Mother's Day, that March, that proved one of the most intense periods of pressure on the princess as social media trolling filled the internet with conspiracy theories about her.
Kate had edited the image leading to her issuing an apology on her official social channels.
Now aged 13, George stands at the beginning of a new phase of life intended to shape him into a future king. From his first appearance outside the Lindo Wing to his role in a Coronation, the milestones of his life chart the upbringing of a future monarch growing steadily closer to the responsibilities that await him.
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.
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