Prince George Turns 9 With Portrait by Kate Middleton

Little Prince George isn't so little anymore.

The third in line to the British throne turns 9 today, July 22, and as we have come to expect, his parents have released a brand new portrait of the little boy (pre-teen????) to mark the happy occasion.

In it, George is giving the camera a gigantic grin while hanging out by the seaside, and royal fans were quick to remark how much he looks like his dad, Prince William, in the photo.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to share a new photograph of Prince George ahead of his ninth birthday tomorrow," Kensington Palace said in a statement (via People).

Although Kate Middleton isn't credited as the photographer on the Cambridges' social media accounts like she usually would be, multiple outlets have reported that she was indeed behind the portrait of her eldest son.

Posting the sweet pic to Instagram, the duke and duchess wrote, "George is turning 9!" followed by a birthday cake and balloon emoji.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)
A photo posted by on

As he gets older, Prince George is making more and more public appearances—sometimes with one or both of his siblings and sometimes alone with his parents.

We recently saw him witness his first Wimbledon tennis tournament, as well as celebrating his great-grandmother the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Last year, he got to see the Euros football (soccer) final too.

George is getting older, and making me feel ancient, so while we collectively process the passage of time, please enjoy these photos of the young prince throughout the years. I hope they make you feel better.

Leaving the hospital

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Leave The Lindo Wing With Their Newborn Son

Aged 1

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Tour Australia And New Zealand - Day 1

After the birth of Princess Charlotte

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Welcome A Daughter

A family skiing trip

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Enjoy Skiing Holiday

At Pippa Middleton's wedding

Wedding Of Pippa Middleton And James Matthews

At the birth of Prince Louis

The Duke &amp; Duchess Of Cambridge Depart The Lindo Wing With Their New Son

Trooping the Colour 2019

Happy birthday, Your Royal Highness!

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.