I Looked at All of Prince George’s Birthday Portraits From Over the Years and Can’t Get Over This One Striking Detail

Flashback to July 22, 2013: The entire world was awaiting the arrival of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first-born child and future heir to the British throne. Then suddenly, there Kate was—on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital, dressed in a blue polka dot dress from Jenny Packham and holding Prince George Alexander Louis in her arms.

Now, George is 11. (Time is a thief, as the cliché goes.) To honor the royal occasion, William and Kate gifted the world a brand-new portrait of the no-longer-little prince, which they posted to their Instagram account today.

It’s not just George’s age that shows his increasing maturity—this particular portrait is significantly more formal than the ones snapped and shared in years past. For one thing, he’s wearing a dark blazer and pants with a white button-down shirt. (No more whale sweaters or short-sleeved polo shirts in this decade, it seems!) It’s also notably in black and white, a departure from the playful and more colorful images we’ve received from Kate & William to celebrate George’s birth over the past 10 years.

James Gill/Getty Images

But there’s a kid-like detail that caught my eye, especially as I combed through royal birthday portraits of Prince George shared in years past: His toothy grin.

Hear me out. George is growing up before our eyes and on a world stage. Royal watchers continually lament the fact that, even at football soccer games in the U.K., he is made to dress older than his years. (It could just be the rules of the royal box in which he sits, but the fact that he can’t just wear a team jersey always gets a ton of buzz.)

Still, when you compare/contrast his birthday portraits , his ear-to-ear grin showing his gap-toothed smile is ever-present. No matter the year, no matter the formality of the outfit, it instantly gives his youth away. (Come on, compare today’s smile to the one in the birthday shot posted when George turned 5 —I still see the same cheeriness shining through.)

To take it one step further, it’s also worth considering the person behind the camera—not every year, but most of the time—who is sparking such a relaxed and genuine grin. It’s his mom, Kate, who happens to be an amateur photographer. (No wonder he’s so at ease.)

George is the future king. Photos that reflect the passage of time and the formality of his destiny make sense. But I also love sleuthing out even a glimmer of kid-like energy. Regal future or not, any mom will agree that we hope our kids can hold onto that spirit as long as they can.

There’s a Royal Easter Egg in Prince George’s Birthday Portrait (& It’s So Sweet)