Prince George, the elder son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, celebrated his 13th birthday on Wednesday. To mark the occasion, his parents released a new portrait of the young royal and shared unseen footage of him enjoying a beach day. The images were shared on the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales with the caption, “Happy 13th Birthday, George! 🎉”
King Charles and Queen Camilla also acknowledged the milestone on social media, reposting the portrait with a cake emoji and the message, “Happy 13th birthday to Prince George!” The Prince and Princess of Wales later posted a video of Prince George playing at the beach, writing, “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for George today!🎂”
Prince George was born in July 2013 and is the eldest of William and Kate’s three children, including Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. He is second in line to the British throne after his father.
Transition to Eton College
This September, Prince George is scheduled to begin his studies at Eton College, the same prestigious boarding school his father attended from 1995 to 2000. This transition marks a significant step for the young prince, who previously attended Lambrook School alongside his siblings.
Royal expert Kinsey Schofield noted that George's time at Eton may present unique challenges due to the modern media landscape. "The biggest challenge won’t be academics or making friends. It’ll be balancing Prince George’s privacy with the reality that every classmate has TikTok," Schofield told Page Six. "Digital exposure, drones, social media and the speed at which information spreads all complicate the security picture. That means Prince George’s protection will almost certainly be more sophisticated."
Schofield believes that despite these complexities, William and Kate will ensure George has sufficient freedom to develop independence. "George’s parents will allow him enough freedom to learn from navigating the world, making friends and solving problems independently," she added.
In recent months, Prince George has made a number of public appearances, including attending Wimbledon 2026, visiting the Royal Air Force Coningsby base, and participating in the Trooping the Colour event.