Royal fans have gone wild over Prince George’s likeness to his father in his new portrait, shared to mark his 12th birthday on Tuesday.

Looking as charming as ever, the future king, who was born on July 22, 2013 at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, was all smiles as he posed for the picture in the British countryside.

Dressed in a white checked shirt layered with a khaki gilet, the prince leans over a wooden gate and smiles into the camera for the snap.

After the portrait was shared online by the Prince and Princess of Wales, fans were quick to point out how the young royal bears a striking resemblance to his father at the same age. 

Photographs of Prince William aged 12 show a similar smile and hair as young George.

‘Wow! His features so strongly resemble his dad,’ wrote one royal enthusiast. Another said: ‘What a fine young man he’s going up to be. He looks like his Papa, Prince William, there.’

Others agreed, writing: ‘As Prince George grows older, his face becomes more similar to his father’s,’ while a fourth person added: ‘Oh my word, he looks just like his dad. He will make a fine King.’

After delighting fans with the new portrait of the young royal, taken earlier this year in Norfolk, Kensington Palace then released a sweet behind-the-scenes film of George’s birthday photoshoot.

Filled with laughter, the footage showed the future King walking hand-in-hand with his sister and brother, while another adorable moment saw George and Princess Charlotte lifting up a beaming Prince Louis. 

The clip and photograph, taken by one of the family’s favourite videographers and photographers, Josh Shinner, echoed Prince Louis’s seventh birthday portrait, released in April.

George, who is the eldest of the Wales children with younger siblings Charlotte, 10 and Louis, seven, was first introduced to the world when his mother Kate and father William stepped out of the Lindo Wing with him in their arms. 

Dressed in a summery powder blue frock, Kate glowed as she and William revealed their first child, George Alexander Louis, to the world.

George, who currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire, will move to secondary education when he reaches the age of 13 – although it has not yet been confirmed which institution his parents have chosen to send him to. 

Among the schools reportedly being considered were his father’s alma mater; Eton College, and his mother’s; Marlborough College.

While nothing is confirmed yet, the Mail on Sunday reported last month that £63,000-a-year Eton was the frontrunner for Kate and William. A source told the paper: ‘All roads lead to Eton.’

Sport-loving George has delighted royal fans around the world with public appearances alongside his parents at sporting events; including Aston Villa matches with his father and, most recently, the men’s Wimbledon final.

The 12-year-old sat alongside his parents and sister Charlotte to watch defending champion Carlos Alcaraz take on World No. 1 Jannik Sinner – before the Italian smashed the Spaniard to lift the trophy.

An animated George watched in apparent frustration as his favourite player dropped sets to Sinner, and appeared downcast at the final result.

It has been widely reported in the past that George and Charlotte are huge Alcaraz fans, and the pair have rejoiced at the 22-year-old’s Wimbledon wins in the last two years.

Indeed the Princess of Wales revealed in 2024 that Princess Charlotte had been supporting Alcaraz as he beat Novak Djokovic to lift the Wimbledon trophy.

Meanwhile, George looked solemn as his mother Kate, patron of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, descended on Centre Court to award Alcaraz the runner-up dish while Sinner was awarded the winner’s trophy.

Earlier in the day, the future King revealed tennis is one of the sports he plays as an extracurricular activity; humbly suggesting he’s ‘alright’ at the sport.

Ahead of the men’s final, George arrived with his family to the All England Club where he chatted to doubles champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.

Chatting to the royals, Cash asked George and Charlotte if they play ‘tennis’.

The pair both nodded, before Cash replied, ‘Are you good?’.

The future king then modestly quipped: ‘I was alright’.

While the Prince and Princess of Wales have gone to great lengths to protect George’s privacy in childhood, they have previously revealed fleeting details of his interests and hobbies.

Among them is his love of Aston Villa FC as he takes after his father Prince William in supporting the West Midlands-based side.

George has long been attending matches with his father, looking the image of William as he goes through the rollercoaster of emotions of supporting a football team.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also revealed insights into their eldest son’s music taste in recent years, sharing that he’s something of a rock fan.

In 2023, during a Big Lunch event to celebrate the King’s Coronation, William told a royal fan that George was a fan of classic rock bands.

Caroline Mulvihill, from the Rock Choir in Windsor and Maidenhead, recounted a conversation she had with the Prince of Wales during the event.

‘We were talking about the kind of music we do in Rock Choir and Will was telling us in their household they have a very diverse music taste and George is very much into AC/DC and Led Zeppelin,’ she said.

Queen singer Adam Lambert has also suggested the young prince is a fan of the classic rock band of which he is now the frontman, replacing founding member Freddie Mercury.

Lambert previously recalled a conversation he’d had with the Princess of Wales at her Together at Christmas carol concert, in which she’d spoken to him about Queen’s performance at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee concert.

He said: ‘It was such an honour. I got to meet Princess Kate, which was fabulous. She was absolutely lovely and down to earth and charming. 

‘She was talking about her son [George] recalling the performance with the Queen at the Palace for the Platinum Jubilee two years before. Adam continued: ‘She was like, he said: “Oh is Adam going to play his guitar?”

‘She said, “I think he was confused who was playing guitar and who was who but he remembered who you were.” I was like, “Oh, that is cute”.’