By: Vincent Wang

On Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka Prince William and Kate Middleton), released a photo of their son Prince George marking his 9th birthday.

This photo of the future king was taken by his mom, well known for her love and passion for photography. The photo shows Prince George on a beach smiling during a family holiday.

Born George Alexander Louis of Cambridge the young prince is the third in line to the throne, only preceded by his grandfather, Prince Charles, and his father. He is the eldest of three kids – big brother to Charlotte, 7 and Louis, 4.

The future king has been seen in public many times, as he attended events such as the men’s Wimbledon tennis final in July, and a number of other events during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central weekend in which he attended with his siblings.