It may seem like just yesterday that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were stood on the steps of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, clutching their firstborn - and now he is nine. The heir to the throne celebrated his ninth birthday last week privately, on July 22, with his maternal grandparents throwing him an enviable birthday bash.
In celebration of her great-grandson's special day, the Queen shared a snap of her with Prince George. In the photo, the nine-year-old is stood with his 'Gan Gan' on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, which was taken during Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The photo shows the pair stood side-by-side and talking with Her Majesty, who was donning a bold yet smart green hat, appearing to be the same height as her great-grandson. The sweet snap was posted to the Royal Family's official social media pages.
Read more: Kate Middleton's forgotten title which features on George, Charlotte and Louis' birth certificates
When the Platinum Jubilee celebrations were in full swing, many fans of The Firm could not believe how quickly Prince George was catching up with his 96-year-old great-grandmother heightwise. On social media, Jazzcat Crafts asked: "Did anyone else notice that HRH Prince George is the same height as his “gan-gan”?"
Leonie Mary wrote: "Adorable! Prince George is now the same height as his Grandmother!"
Ave said: "The Queen is 5’4 and she and Prince George are almost the same height! He’s gonna be so tall!"
Several years ago, before the birth of Prince Louis, the Duchess of Cambridge shared an insight into George and Charlotte's relationship with their great-grandmother. Kate said: "George is only two-and-a-half and he calls her 'Gan-Gan.' She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows her love for her family."
This summer, the Cambridge family are set to become even closer to the Queen, as they get ready to up sticks and move from Kensington Palace in London to Her Majesty's Windsor estate in Berkshire. Although Kate and William are said to have planned the move so their children can have different childhoods to the ones they have had so far in the Capital, the move has also been heavily influenced by the Queen.
Adelaide Cottage in Windsor has four bedrooms and is said to need 'no extra taxpayer-funded security or costly refurb'. Reportedly, Prince William speaks to his grandmother a few times a week and, since the death of his grandfather, he wants to be closer to her.
An insider told the Daily Mail: "It's one of the things that has hastened their move to Berkshire this summer.
"Losing the Duke of Edinburgh has a left a big hole in all their lives. He was a great counsel to William and he feels very protective of his grandmother."
They added that Prince William 'is always checking in with (the Queen) to make sure she understands why things are happening in a certain way'. Her Majesty has been designating more and more royal duties to her son Prince Charles, as well as Prince William, such as when the pair presided over the recent State Opening on Parliament in her place.
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