Prince George smiles at the beach in new birthday photo© WireImage

Prince George pictured on family holiday in new birthday photo

The Duchess of Cambridge took the picture of her firstborn


JULY 21, 2022 6:25 PM EDT

 Prince George  is turning nine! A new photo of the  Duke  and  Duchess of Cambridge ’s eldest child was released on Thursday to mark his upcoming ninth birthday.

The Prince, who turns nine on July 22, was photographed by his mother on a beach. George flashed a bright smile at the camera, while wearing a sky blue polo.

© The Duchess of Cambridge

A new photo was released to mark Prince George’s ninth birthday. The royal turns 9 on July 22

Alongside the photo, William and Kate’s social media accounts wrote: “George is turning 9! 🎂🎈.”

The image was taken earlier this month during a family holiday in the UK. Social media users were quick to point out George’s resemblance to his father. “Oh my goodness!! Thats William!!!” one tweeted. Another wrote, “Happy birthday little Prince Absolute spitting image of William.”

Kate has a sweet tradition when it comes to her kids’ birthdays. On A Berry Royal Christmas back in 2019, the Duchess revealed that she bakes a cake for her children’s birthdays. “I love making the cake,” she shared. “It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up ‘til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it.”