Prince George's birthday photo is near-identical to another very famous royal portrait

A new photograph of Prince George to mark his 11th birthday has given royal fans a taste of nostalgia.

The black and white portrait, taken by his mother the Princess of Wales, shows the future king in a more formal setting than many have become used to from other family snaps Catherine has taken to mark her children's birthdays.

This time, the young prince is wearing a dark suit with a white shirt instead of his casual clothes.

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He's also seated inside, believed to be in Adelaide Cottage – the Wales' family home on the Windsor Estate – rather than in the great outdoors as George and his two siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis often are.

But George's customary cheeky grin remains and he's sitting with a slight slouch, owing to his young age.

He's also wearing a friendship bracelet on his right wrist with a Buckingham Palace source saying: "It is safe to assume that the bracelets are to do with them all being big Taylor Swift fans", referring to the beaded accessories seen on not only the younger royals but also the King and Queen in recent weeks.

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The photograph bears a striking similarity to another portrait of a British royal, but one taken at a very different stage of life.

In 2003, famed photographer Mario Testino was commissioned to capture Prince William for his 21st birthday. In that photo, Prince William also wore a black suit and white shirt, with an added white vest and bowtie.

Several years later, Testino also photographed Prince Harry for his 21st birthday.

In contrast to the photo of William, Prince Harry's is much more relaxed. His 21st birthday shot, by Testino, shows him hunched over a motorcycle reminiscent of a young Marlon Brando from the 1953 film The Wild One.

Testino began taking photos of the British royal family after his series of informal portraits of Diana, Princess of Wales, taken in 1997 for Vanity Fair, were hugely popular.

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He's since been commissioned to capture the royals on some of their most important occasions, including birthdays and christenings. One of his most memorable is a black and white shot of then Prince Charles and his two sons.

The Princess of Wales, perhaps, took inspiration from Testino's 21st birthday photograph of Prince William for George's celebrations on July 22.

The future King has had a busy few weeks, joining his father to support support England in the Euro 2024 final in Germany.

In May, Prince William and Prince George presented the FA Cup to winners Manchester United at Wembley.

He also joined other members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony following Trooping the Colour, the official birthday celebrations for King Charles, in June.

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