A Subtle Detail in Prince George’s New Birthday Portrait Proves the Future King Is Very Much a Regular Kid

Prince George just turned 11, ladies and gents! And, following tradition, the royal family just shared a new portrait of the tween honoring his birthday. Fans couldn’t help but notice how the black-and-white picture shows just how grown up, “dashing, and “handsome” the future monarch is.

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“Wishing Prince George a very happy 11th birthday today!” Prince William and Kate Middleton captioned the photo that they shared across social media platforms. They then confirmed that the photo was indeed taken by Middleton herself. (An act that’s become a sweet informal tradition.) “📸 The Princess of Wales, 2024.”

If you look at the photo on Instagram , you see Prince George looking quite regal in his suit. He’s much more buttoned up (literally) than his siblings who got to wear more casual clothing in their recent birthday portraits (see 9-year-old Princess Charlotte HERE and 6-year-old Prince Louis HERE ). But if you look at the photo on X (formerly Twitter), it’s less cropped and you can see that — despite being second in line to the throne — Prince George has all the signs of being a very normal kid.

Because the tween is wearing a friendship bracelet!

On his left wrist, Prince George has a string friendship bracelet — not unlike the one his sister wears, and that she has seemingly convinced their grandfather King Charles III to wear. And we’re not at all surprised to see the young royals rocking this accessory. Not only is it a childhood classic, but it must be a nod to their new bestie, Taylor Swift, who they met at her London Eras Tour concert and who inspired a resurgence in friendship bracelets.

It’s possible Prince George was even wearing the bracelet earlier this month when he attended the UEFA European Championship with Prince William. (Is that a bracelet we spy peeking out from under his sleeve?!)

The father and son had the sweetest outing — even if it did end in disappointment with Spain defeating England 2-1. It was also a very “normal kid” thing for Prince George to do. Sure, he was wearing cufflinks and meeting dignitaries and cheering from a private box … but he was still just a boy watching a game with his dad.

The best part about the whole thing was how their facial expressions — which ranged from sheer delight to utter disgust — matched the whole time. Like father, like son, we suppose! Now we have to know if Prince William has been roped into wearing a friendship bracelet too. He certainly enjoyed dancing at the Eras Tour concert, so it would only be fitting if he put a bracelet on while he continued to “Shake It Off”.

Before you go, check out all the times Prince George showed he’ll be a great king one day.