Prince George turns 13 today, and his parents William and Kate marked it with a new official portrait: the boy in a dark suit and shirt, with a look that no longer resembles a child's. That's exactly the point. This isn't just any teenager's birthday, but that of the man who is second in line to the British throne.

George was born on 22 July 2013, as the first grandchild of Charles III and the third great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. Twelve years later, childhood ends far more concretely than for other children his age: in mid-August he heads to Eton, the boys' boarding school where he'll live during the school year.

That also means a separation from the younger Charlotte and Louis, with whom he has shared a home until now. The first real step toward an independent life, say those who follow the royal families. Or, if you like, the first step toward a role no one asks him whether he wants.

A school with 20 prime ministers and one future king

Eton has existed for nearly six centuries, and 20 British prime ministers have passed through its desks, as did George's father. Experts see this as the beginning of the „formal preparation” for the crown: strict academic instruction, but also training in leadership and court protocol. In other words, the institution quietly begins to shape the boy into a future monarch.

George is no longer a novelty on the balconies. He was at Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, had a prominent place at Charles III's coronation, appears at the Christmas services in Sandringham and at the military parade. From a spontaneous child fidgeting, to a boy who watches how he stands and what he does before the cameras.

William and Kate have spent years trying to give the children a more or less normal life, outside the court circus. But George's place in line for the throne makes that boundary narrow every year. Is there even a way to grow up normally when your childhood is measured in centuries of tradition and other people's expectations?