Prince William and Catherine started a very popular and moving tradition when their eldest son Prince George was born, and they’ve done the same for each of his two siblings since – releasing new and beautiful photographs to mark their birthdays.
And as George turns six on Monday, royal supporters are eagerly waiting to see whether there will be more official photos to look forward to on his big day.
From snaps of the young prince as a baby in his mother’s arms, right through to him cheekily smiling at the camera and playing with the family dog, the royals have revealed a little more of his life behind closed doors in each of the photos so far.
Here’s a look at some of the most memorable birthday snaps:
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge truly kicked things off in style for their son’s first birthday, as they released a series of photos from a fun photoshoot during a visit to the Natural History museum’s butterfly exhibit.
George was seen running around on his own dressed in striped dungarees and little shoes, before pointing up at the butterflies above him.
Meanwhile, more photos showed him cuddling up to his proud parents as they beamed in the candid snaps, all taking in the colourful insects around them.
Look who's turning two tomorrow! #HappyBirthdayPrinceGeorge pic.twitter.com/M0vVDjfHpy
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2015
Just a year later, Kensington Palace released a beautiful photo of a cheeky Prince George smiling in his father’s arms, as he leaned into the camera for the perfect shot.
Thank you to the Grenadier Guards for playing ‘Happy Birthday’ at today’s Guard Change! #HappyBirthdayPrinceGeorgehttps://t.co/Gkcal0kShn
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 22, 2015
Wearing small red shorts and a white top, he appeared a complete natural in the snap as they stood together outside their home. To celebrate the big day, the Grenadier Guards also stopped their usual routine to play ‘Happy Birthday’ in the young prince’s honour.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIKD_bcgvix/?utm_source=ig_embed
For George’s third birthday, William and Catherine really treated royal fans as they once again released a series of photos from a photoshoot – this time showing a glimpse of their life behind closed doors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIKDrgWgEQt/?utm_source=ig_embed
The snaps, taken at the family’s home at Amner Hall, in Norfolk, showed George playing with their dog Lupo on a picnic blanket while feeding him some of his own ice cream, apparently oblivious to what’s going on around him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIKDidbAPjk/?utm_source=ig_embed
Meanwhile, more photos featured him sitting on a rope swing outdoors – just like any other child his age and without any of the royal splendour many would expect to see – before more showed him in another outfit laughing as he walked through the countryside.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BW0rEbcAaR1/?utm_source=ig_embed
Scaling things back and releasing just one special photo on his fourth birthday, parents William and Catherine shared a portrait of George beaming straight at the camera dressed in a striped shirt – looking incredibly grown up compared to his previous snaps.
The official picture was taken at Kensington Palace in London, where the family live, by royal photographer Chris Jackson.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlgkRe_nuBw/?utm_source=ig_embed
For his most recent birthday last year, Prince George was pictured in another smiling portrait – this time in the garden of Clarence House in London.
He was seen laughing up at the camera with his hands behind his back, wearing some navy shorts and a white shirt.