Prince George turns eight years old: Check out this adorable new portrait of the future king.

Prince George turns eight years old: Check out this adorable new portrait of the future king. 

The heir to the throne of England is maturing.

Thursday will be Prince George of Cambridge's eighth birthday, as the third in line to the British throne continues to grow and resembles his father, Prince William. Kensington Palace had issued a fresh snapshot of the happy little royal, who is shown sitting atop a Land Rover and dressed casually in a striped shirt, the night before.

The photograph was shot in Norfolk, which is home to Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate and the Cambridges' rural hideaway, Anmer Hall.

Every year, the issue of the royal new pictures to mark the birthdays of family members: Will and his wife, Duchess Kate, have previously posted special birthday photos of their three children, a tradition they began with George's first birthday. Since standing down as senior royals and relocating to California, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have developed a modified version of that tradition.

Following some unpleasant internet remarks in the past, several royal analysts predicted that the Cambridges might not do so this year. This was not the case, however, admirers of the royals would have had a new look at George this year if it had been.

He walked out with his parents last week for England's Euro 2020 finals, wearing a striped red and blue tie with a blazer – a style that drew some online criticism, with some pitying the little kid for having to dress up for a soccer match while the rest of the crowd wore jerseys and T-shirts. George, who was sandwiched between William and Kate, became an immediate meme with his enthusiastic cheering.

Prince George was all of us when Luke Shaw's goal went in 🙌 #Euro2020Final pic.twitter.com/5vvGzMrzWy

— Metro (@MetroUK) July 11, 2021

The yearly birthday photographs, on the other hand, are more relaxed than last week's work suit set. George posed for photos last year in two distinct outfits: one in an olive green polo and the other in a camouflage T-shirt. He was accompanied in several of the photographs by his younger siblings Charlotte, 6, and Louis, 3.

Kate, a seasoned amateur photographer, was once again behind the lens. 

His parents have been cautious in releasing photographs of their children, in part to safeguard their privacy as they grow older. Even these birthday photos are closely monitored by the palace, which imposes restrictions, generally on December 31, after which the media cannot publish them without authorization.

George, like his father, was born in London's St. Mary's Hospital, and he was the world's most famous baby even before he was born. A throng of reporters, cameramen, and royal admirers, some of whom had been waiting for weeks, jostled on the street in front of the hospital entrance, yelling questions, clapping, and applauding as the couple emerged and announced the new royal heir to an ecstatic country.

"He's got a terrific pair of lungs on him," William said, barely heard over the din of the throng. "He's a huge kid; he weighs a lot." The unidentified infant weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces at the time.

"It was extremely emotional since it is such a special occasion; every parent understands how this feels," Kate remarked.