Barefoot Prince George seen in new video released for his 13th birthday

It’s perhaps the most down-to-earth and laid back look at a future king the British royal family has ever released.

To mark Prince George’s 13th birthday, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a video of the now teenager climbing rocks barefoot and enjoying some beach cricket.

The relaxed clip of the second-in-line-to-the-throne enjoying his childhood with his siblings in nature paints a stark contrast to his official portrait released hours earlier.

In that shot, the future Eton student is seen in a suit with his hands in his pockets, looking very grown up.

But the video of the youngster wearing sunglasses and enjoying the water while on a boat shows a true glimpse into Prince George’s childhood - one his parents, Prince William and Kate, have tried very hard to keep as normal as possible.

In one shot the 13-year-old is seen jumping across boulders on what appears to be a mountain or cliff, with younger brother Prince Louis, 8, following right behind him.

Their sister Princess Charlotte, 11, isn’t seen within the 15-second clip but the family dogs, cocker spaniels Otto and Orla, make an appearance. His famous parents are also absent from the video.

Shared on the palace’s official social media channels as a thanks to fans for their well-wishes, there isn’t a videographer tagged in the post, suggesting this wasn’t filmed on an official shoot but made from moments captured recently.

It’s understood the video was filmed during the family’s break in south-west England over the Easter school holidays.

Kate is often the one behind the camera in these sorts of private moments that are later carefully - and sparingly - shared.

By contrast on Prince William’s 13th birthday, in June 1995, there was no official portrait released.

Instead, the public had to wait for his first day at Eton College in September - where Prince George will also attend later this year - to see the 13-year-old future king.

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But, it’s understood Prince William’s mum Princess Diana threw one heck of a private party for her oldest son’s milestone birthday.

The then-Princess of Wales enlisted supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington to surprise him when he came home from school.

Former Kensington Palace chef Darren McGrady has also previously spoken about the “naughty” cake Diana ordered for William’s 13th birthday.

“I came into work that morning and went down to the refrigerator, opened the door and I was just confronted with the biggest pair of boobs I’ve ever seen in my life,” he told Hello! in a 2018 interview.

“The Princess had ordered a boobs cake for William’s 13th birthday ... William just went bright-red.”

Meanwhile, Prince George’s grandfather - now King Charles - celebrated his 13th birthday in November 1961 with a normal day at boarding school Cheam School in Hampshire.

There was no public or official party for the then-Prince Charles but he celebrated privately with family.