His mother, the Princess of Wales, is an amateur photographer and takes many of the family photos but for Prince George’s birthday it was decided to bring in a trusted professional.
As the future king turns 10 today, Kensington Palace has released a new photo of him by the renowned portrait photographer Millie Pilkington.
Taken at Windsor Castle this month, the photo shows the smiling prince sitting on the castle steps looking relaxed with his arms folded across his knees.
The first child of William and Catherine is wearing a white, green and blue checked shirt, dark teal coloured chino trousers and brown suede derby shoes.
Pilkington is based in Dorset and specialises in photographs of children and families.
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A family friend of the Middletons, she also took the private “informal” photos for the prince and princess at their wedding reception in 2011, later describing the event as a “wonderful, intimate family affair”.
This year she also photographed a smiling Princess Charlotte cuddling the family’s dog, a black cocker spaniel called Orla. This was released to mark her eighth birthday.
Pilkington also photographed a mischievous looking Prince Louis sitting on a pile of grass in a wheelbarrow as his mother pushed him.
“It not only captures Louis’ spirit and cheek but also the relationship he has with his mother, and the fun they have together. You can’t but help feeling joy, love and laughter when you look at this photo,” she later wrote.
It is not known how Prince George will be celebrating his birthday but it will probably involve a cake baked by his mother.
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Speaking to the chef Mary Berry on her TV programme A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019, the princess said that she stays up late the night before any birthday baking.
“I love making the cake,” she said. “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.”
