On July 22, 2013, Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their first child. Keeping with royal tradition, the proud parents posed for a photo call outside the hospital the following day to introduce the world to the new addition to the line of succession to the throne (when he was born, George was third in line behind his grandfather Charles and father William). The little prince’s name was soon announced as George Alexander Louis, likely a tribute to the regnal name of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI. From his mom’s arms, Prince George took in the Sensational Butterflies exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London in July 2014. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as William and Kate were styled at the time, released the shot in honor of their son’s first birthday, kicking off a tradition that would continue ever since and eventually extend to his siblings. In an especially memorable image from Prince George’s toddler days, the almost 2-year-old royal animatedly chatted with his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth at the 2015 christening of his sister, Princess Charlotte. Prince George stole hearts with a darling double wave while visiting Canada with his family in October 2016 at age 3. Is there anything cuter than a tiny prince enjoying Christmas? Prince George had another iconic photo moment when he explored a helicopter with Prince William during a royal tour of Germany on the eve of his 4th birthday. The little prince bounded around the grounds of the Beaufort Polo Club during one of his dad’s matches a few weeks before his 5th birthday. Prince George and Princess Charlotte matched in uniforms on the steps of Kensington Palace on an important morning: their first day at the same school! The sweet bond between George, then 6, and Charlotte, then 4, was evident as they posed close together before heading off to Thomas’s Battersea in September 2019. “They are close in age, and they spend so much time together,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. “Playdates [with outsiders] can be tricky, so they learn to lean on each other.” George joined dad William, mom Kate, sister Charlotte and little brother Louis to support the “Clap for Carers” campaign during the coronavirus pandemic. The royal family applauded frontline workers from Amner Hall, their country home in Norfolk, in a special appearance that aired on the BBC. Prince George was treated to a soccer game on a school night a few weeks before his 8th birthday to watch England and Germany play their Euro 2020 match at Wembley Stadium. The little prince (who has inherited his father’s love of football, as the sport is known in Europe) proved to be a lucky charm, and England advanced to the quarterfinals. Prince George looked at Queen Elizabeth with love during the royal family’s appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the final day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. The picture was even more poignant as it caught four generations of royalty — including heirs Prince William and then-Prince Charles — in one frame. "That's an extra dynamic you have with royal photos, you have that deeper historical context which makes these moments so important to capture," explained royal photographer Chris Jackson, who was behind the lens, on the Hello! A Right Royal podcast. “As a photographer, you do feel the pressure of that history and you don't want to bugger it up, basically.” Nine-year-old George served as a Page of Honor at the coronation of his grandfather King Charles on May 6. The young prince, who is now second in line to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, helped carry the King’s robes during the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey and flashed a grin while leaving the balcony of Buckingham Palace balcony behind his grandfather. “He was terrific,” a close family friend tells PEOPLE of George’s part. The preteen prince joined the royal family at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024, sporting a suit and tie for the annual celebration of the British monarch's birthday. He's Got the Look At 12, Prince George already has a deep understanding of sports drama — he was utterly invested in the Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz match-up at Wimbledon this year.