Prince George's Transformation From Baby To 12 Years Old (He's Growing So Fast)

It feels like it was just yesterday when William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales welcomed their eldest son, Prince George of Wales, and introduced him to the world on the steps of London's St Mary's Hospital, but the boy whose birth was celebrated across the world is now all grown up and getting ready to enter his teen era. Since his birth in 2013, royal fans have watched George go from chubby-cheeked cherub to a dignified young man who is the spitting image of his dad. And many are looking forward to him joining the ranks of working royals, especially after he celebrated his milestone 12th birthday on July 22, 2025.

The second in line to the British throne got an introduction to royal duties before he even turned 1, and since then, his parents have brought him along for a few of their royal outings every year. George has likely started to get a sense of his future job from the royal engagements and events he has attended so far, but Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly have no plans to saddle their son with heavy responsibilities before he's willing and ready. "[Kate and William] won't push [George] as there is no need to do so. They are not those sorts of parents, but they will encourage him when he shows an interest," royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the Daily Mail. For now, George still has plenty more growing up to do — even though he already towers over his two siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. "Prince George is learning to be an adult and to think about himself in new and challenging ways," she added. 

In honor of his life milestones so far, here's a look at Prince George's transformation from baby to 12 years old.

There's regular nepo baby wealth and privilege, and then there's royal child-level wealth and privilege. Prince George of Wales was not only born with arguably the best job in the world lined up, but he stands to inherit many titles and land when he moves up the ranks and becomes the next Prince of Wales. William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales' eldest child enjoys the best of everything life has to offer, from a lavish education and nannies to sprawling historic mansions and ski trips to the French Alps. While other children's christenings probably get a special Facebook post at most, George's baptism (performed by no less than the archbishop of Canterbury) made the news across the globe.

Despite that, perhaps George's biggest blessing is that he was born to hands-on parents who gave him and his siblings a normal childhood and kept them grounded amid their royal life. When he's not traveling to other countries with Kate Middleton and Prince William or waving to the masses from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour, George does household chores, goes on walks with his family, helps with the cooking and baking, and follows strict rules set by his parents. "As far as we are concerned within our family unit, we are a normal family. ... There'll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. But right now it's just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as a [sic] I can as a father," William said in a BBC interview (per People). 

The year 2016 was a big one for Prince George of Wales. He kicked off the year with a major milestone: attending his first day of preschool. At the time, William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales shared an adorable snap on X, formerly Twitter, of their 2-year-old son in his tiny blue coat and backpack at his nursery school in Norfolk, England. Aside from starting his scholastic journey, George went on his first-ever public engagement, joining his parents at an annual military airshow held at the Royal Air Force's Fairford station. Photos from the event showed the prince seemingly throwing a royal tantrum at one point, but the officers had nothing but praise for George's manners. "He said, 'Thank you.' He was very sweet," Cadet Sgt. Eleanor Horton told People.

Prince George arrives for his first day at nursery in Norfolk earlier today pic.twitter.com/w4BPGNE1H0

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 6, 2016

However, the highlight of George's year was likely his iconic first meeting with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. Dressed in his fluffy little robe and pajamas, the pint-sized future king shook hands with the then-president, who, along with his wife, got down on his haunches to talk to George (pictured above). Barack later joked about the viral interaction during his speech at his last Correspondents' Dinner as president, saying: " ... it's not just Congress. Even some foreign leaders, they've been looking ahead, anticipating my departure. Last week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face" (via ABC News). Michelle also shared some inside scoop from their Kensington Palace visit, telling "Good Morning America" that George had innocently called out his usually cheeky and playful uncle Prince Harry for being "so quiet" when they met the Obamas, per ABC News. Out of the mouths of babes.

Prince George of Wales was only 4 years old when he was a page boy at his uncle Prince Harry's lavish royal wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018, but the little royal was already looking like a miniature version of his dad William, Prince of Wales in the three-quarter-length, military-style dark coat and matching pants that he wore to the ceremony (pictured above). Wearing the outfit, which was a tiny replica of Prince William and Harry's military uniforms, was a big moment for George as it marked the first time he wore pants to an official royal event. Prior to this, the future king wore only shorts when out in public in keeping with a longstanding tradition among British royals and aristocrats. "It's a very English thing to dress a young boy in shorts," etiquette expert William Hanson told Harper's Bazaar. "Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England. Although times are (slowly) changing, a pair of trousers on a young boy is considered quite middle class — quite suburban. And no self-respecting aristo or royal would want to be considered suburban. Even the Duchess of Cambridge."

While Hanson explained that "The usual custom is that a boy graduates to trousers around eight years old," George might have put on his big boy pants, literally, ahead of schedule because he had plenty of big boy milestones in the months leading up to the wedding. He started primary school at the posh and pricey Thomas's Battersea School. George also became a big brother for the second time after William and Catherine, Princess of Wales welcomed Prince Louis in April 2018.

Prince Louis of Wales stole the show at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. The youngest child of William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales left royal fans amused when he was captured making silly faces from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the flypast and shushing his mom during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. However, he isn't the only young royal to go viral for absolutely meme-worthy behavior.

Back in December 2019, Prince George of Wales joined his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth III, grandfather King Charles III (then Prince Charles), and father Prince William in promoting a Christmas-themed initiative in support of active and veteran British Armed Forces members. The royals were asked to help make Christmas puddings at Buckingham Palace, "with the four representing a cross-section of those supported by the [Royal British Legion], from the children of service personnel, to Second World War veterans," according to William and Kate Middleton's Instagram post about the event. But as seen in a video shared by the Daily Mail on TikTok, George might have taken the task a little too seriously. 

@dailymailroyals

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In the clip, the 6-year-old could be seen mixing the batter in a bowl using a large wooden spoon as his dad added more ingredients. However, at one point, the young prince might have thought he wasn't using enough force as he then basically began stabbing the poor batter, resulting in what appeared to be an attempted murder of a Christmas pudding. George's antics had William and Charles bursting into laughter, while the queen immediately rushed to the side to avoid being in the line of (pudding) fire.

William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales celebrated Prince George of Wales' 12th birthday in July 2025 by sharing a new portrait of their eldest on Instagram. The preteen looked all grown up in a white-and-blue checked shirt and a brown gilet that look like they came straight out of his dad's closet. Turning 12 years old brought some major changes to George's life, including having to follow a strict royal travel rule concerning heirs. For years, George has flown with his parents for their trips within the U.K. and abroad, but he could be asked to take a different plane from his father moving forward. "Traditional royal travel protocol expects a future heir to travel separately from their father, especially when 12 years old. Direct heirs should not fly together," British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.

In addition, George might take on a more active role in the monarchy and make more official appearances. Shortly before his birthday, he attended a formal royal event at Buckingham Palace for the first time alongside his parents, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla. George joined his dad in shaking hands and chatting with the war veterans who attended the VE Day tea party as the guests of honor. "George was the star of the room. He was engrossed in conversation with many of the veterans, who were delighted to speak to him as well. He was enjoying it, hearing about guns and submarines and tanks," an insider told Hello! Prior to this, George had already proven he can maintain his composure and perform well even when the whole world is watching when he served as one of Charles' pages of honor during his May 2023 coronation.