We were so ecstatic when the royal family released a brand-new portrait of Prince George that we almost missed the subtle tribute to his late great-grandfather, Prince Philip.
In honor of the young royal’s eighth birthday today, the family shared a never-before-seen photo of George on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s joint Instagram account.
In the photo, Prince George is candidly smiling for the camera. If you look beyond his toothy grin, you’ll notice he’s sitting on the hood of a Land Rover Defender, which is likely a nod to Prince Philip.
You see, one of the late royal’s favorite extracurricular activities was off-roading. Not only did he frequently drive Land Rovers, but he also custom designed his very own Defender. (FYI: The vehicle was used to transport Prince Philip’s coffin when he passed away back in April.)
Prince George’s birthday photo was taken by Middleton (surprise, surprise) at the Cambridge family’s Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. The caption read, “Turning eight (!) tomorrow,” along with a few emojis.
As The Daily Mail points out, the young royal is wearing navy-blue shorts by Boden and a polo shirt by John Lewis. Unfortunately, George’s top is already sold out online. However, there are other color combinations—like Blue Rainbow—available for purchase for £19.00 (about $26).
We’d be lying if we said we weren’t expecting the royal family to release a portrait for Prince George’s birthday, especially since Louis and Charlotte each got their own as well. Still, we applaud them for paying homage to one of Prince Philip’s favorite pastimes.
Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.
