Prince George marks 13th birthday with behind-the-scenes photo taken inside royal home in dramatic shift from last year's picture
He's officially a teenager and this birthday photograph signalled a return to his roots ahead of his big move to Eton in September
At first glance, Prince George's 13th birthday photo looks like a simple, special snapshot of the future King as he prepares for a huge change. He's heading to Eton in September and will be fully living away from home for the first time. George already looks so grown up and the picture taken by Matt Porteous definitely shows that.
However, I was struck by the location and just how minimal and formal the image was. The birthday photo was captured at Kensington Palace after Trooping the Colour in June and shows George standing on a white staircase in his navy suit - minus his pastel blue tie.
It's a portrait of a young man who is destined to be never really off duty. Although it was taken behind-the-scenes when he was relaxed and completely outside the public eye, the Prince still looks very smart and composed.
His actual surroundings aren't grand but Kensington Palace is a historic royal residence and it's also where he spent the early years of his life. The Prince and Princess of Wales moved to Kensington Palace in 2013 and it's still their London base.
Since Prince George's 13th birthday photo was taken there, it suggests that they were either staying whilst they were in the capital or just wanted to return to the palace for the shoot. The royal residence probably holds a lot of memories for George and it's also where Princess Diana used to live, so there's another layer of significance.
It couldn't be more of a contrast to last year's photo location. Prince George's 12th birthday photo was taken by Josh Shinner in Norfolk and showed him wearing a shirt and gilet, leaning on a mossy garden gate.
We all know how much William, Kate and their children love spending time at doors and their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall, is a private countryside haven for them. However, as he gets older George will have more and more of a public role and the dramatic difference between these pictures highlights that.
The new image isn't quite as formal as official photos we see of Prince William and King Charles, but it's a step closer to that. Sadly, the days of truly casual snaps might now be over, though the Waleses did later share a video montage filmed during their holiday to Cornwall at Easter which showed us George exploring at the beach.
Perhaps the videos will continue to be a more candid option compared to the pictures. It was also interesting that they chose to take the photo in a part of the palace that isn't recognisable and on the same day as Trooping the Colour.
One day Prince George will have his own official birthday parade but this time he got to experience King Charles's big day and then go off and take his birthday photo completely privately. Because the Wales children's celebratory snaps are often taken weeks or even months before their birthdays, we don't get a glimpse of what they're doing on the day itself.
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are all now on summer break from school and the 13-year-old might want to make the most of being at home with his family before starting at Eton. As for what presents he could receive, William and Kate have been open about not allowing any of their children to have phones up to now.
The Prince of Wales said they're "really strict" about it, but with George heading away to school soon, could they finally make an exception for their eldest child?
