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Kensington Palace has released a new photo of Prince George to mark his 13th birthday.

George, who became a teenager on Wednesday 22 July, is shown wearing a dark suit with an open-necked white shirt.

He is smiling and appears to be relaxed, with his hands in his pockets.

The image, shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media accounts, was taken after George returned to Kensington Palace from Trooping the Colour in June.

It was taken by Matt Porteous, who has captured many other images from Prince William and Prince Kate’s family celebrations.

The photo shows George wearing a dark suit and white shirt (Kensington Palace)

The photo was accompanied by the message “Happy 13th Birthday, George!” followed by an emoji of a party popper.

Footage of Prince George on the beach in Cornwall was also released to celebrate the young royal becoming a teenager.

The behind-the-scenes video montage showed the prince wearing sunglasses as he waves and smiles at the camera, playing cricket on the sand, and clambering over the rocks barefoot with his younger brother Prince Louis.

It was filmed during the family’s Easter holiday in the South West, and was accompanied with a message on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s social media reading: “Thank you for all the birthday wishes for George today!”

George, whose full name is George Alexander Louis, was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London, just over two years after his parents were married.

He was third in line to the throne at the time of his birth and is now second in line, after his father William.

In September, George will begin his secondary schooling at Eton College in Windsor.

It is not known if George will board at Eton, but the college is only a few miles from the Waleses’ Forest Lodge home at Windsor.

Kate and William leave St Mary's Hospital with the newborn Prince George on 23 July 2013 (PA)

His schooling up until now has been at Lambrook, a private prep school in Berkshire. His younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis also attend the school.

Prince William enrolled at Eton in 1995 before being joined by his younger brother, Prince Harry, a few years later in 1998. They both boarded at Manor House.

William’s attendance at Eton was a significant break in royal tradition at the time, as it was expected he would go to Gordonstoun in Scotland, which his father Charles and grandfather Philip both attended.

Eton College is one of the most famous and prestigious schools in the world and has a reputation for instilling self-reliance and leadership as students have to fulfil many non-academic tasks themselves.

Its roll call of famous past students includes actors Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Eddie Redmayne, a large number of prime ministers including David Cameron, writers George Orwell and Ian Fleming, and adventurer Bear Grylls.