PRINCE CHARMING

ON HIS EIGHTH BIRTHDAY PRINCE GEORGE LOOKS ALL GROWN UP IN A NEW PHOTO WITH A SWEET NOD TO THE LATE PRINCE PHILIP

- KIRSTY NUTKINS

At the tender age of eight, Prince George is already proving to be quite the heartbreaker.

On the occasion of his birthday last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released a beautiful shot of their eldest son – who is third in line to the throne – dressed in a striped John Lewis & Partners polo shirt and navy shorts, and perched atop a Land Rover Defender.

The image was captured at their Norfolk home of Anmer Hall and, as is tradition, it was taken by his mother, Kate. The inclusion of the Land Rover is thought to be a nod to George’s late great-grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, who loved driving the same model. In fact, a customised Land Rover was used in place of a hearse at Prince Philip’s funeral in April.

It is thought that the family marked George’s birthday with a private party – and the royals were rumoured to have been joined by the Duchess’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, for the event.

“The Cambridges tend to be in Norfolk for most of the summer holidays, so I imagine they will have been at Anmer Hall for the party,” said royal expert Katie Nicholl. “Every year, Kate tries to re-create the kinds of birthdays that she enjoyed when she was a child – sweet little tea parties with home-baked cakes. There’s nothing showy or ostentatious or over the top. It’s just very simple, with an emphasis on fun and family.”

We can only guess what was at the top of Prince George’s birthday gift list but a family friend of the Cambridges has admitted she has her own tradition when it comes to presents for the future king.