Today one of our all-time favorite tots turns 3. Prince George, the boy who will one day be king has had quite an adventure during his short time on this planet: He's already met the president of the United States (while stealing the show in a monogrammed bath robe), had his face plastered on a postage stamp and perfected the royal wave.
To celebrate the end of the terrible twos, Georgie, as he is sometimes called by his mom and dad, is sure to be center of attention at a small birthday party at Anmer Hall. There will likely be presents and balloons as he blows out the candles on his cake (one of his favorite foods).
Unfortunately, we didn't get an invite so instead we're marking the occasion by taking a closer look at George's fabulous life. Here's everything we know about the adorable heir who has captured our hearts.
1. He Has a Mischievous Streak
George is noisy! Fact! We've known it from the moment we first laid eyes on him when he was introduced to the world on the steps of the Lindo Wing, Prince William saying, "He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure."
A few months later, William described his firstborn as "a baby who has a voice to match any lion's roar!"
While on tour in New Zealand in 2014, William told the governor's residence hosts, "I hope that George doesn't keep you up. He has been known to be particularly vocal at 3 a.m. I swear I heard him doing the haka this morning."
The little monkey (which dad has jokingly called him) is full of energy and always on the go. His naughty streak was even given as an excuse for why he wasn't present for the royal couple's trip to India and Bhutan earlier this year. When asked about his absence by villagers near Kaziranga National Park, Kate was forced to admit, "Because George is too naughty. He would be running all over the place."
It all just adds to his lovability. As his newly engaged aunt Pippa Middleton told Today in 2014, "It's wonderful. He's amazing. He's a very, very dear boy. And he's brought a lot of pleasure and fun for all of us, the whole family. He's very characterful. He's sort of brought us all together, and we love spending weekends with him. He's very funny."
2. He Loves Being a Big Brother
There's no denying George's love for his baby sister, 14-month-old Princess Charlotte. Who can forget that adorable picture of George peering over the top of his sister's pram at her Christening?
Or the way he kissed her forehead while proudly cradling her in his arms in her first official pics, which were taken by their mom.
And he seems ready to take his big brother role seriously. During a public appearance last month, Kate told fan Glynis Double about her two children. "As a mum myself I asked her about her children and said what a pretty little thing we all thought Princess Charlotte was," said Double. "She said: 'Oh she is very cute but she has got quite a feisty side.' I then asked her about George and she said he was a really lovely little boy. She said she hopes that George will keep Charlotte in order!"
3. He Can Already Command a Room
On his first ever official engagement (one of potentially tens of thousands he will do in his lifetime) at a playgroup in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2014, George managed to reduce a young girl to tears by gruffly grabbing her arm.
The accidental gesture was simply an indication of his excitement, he had never played with so many children at the same time until that day.
It wasn't just the little girl's arm he took a liking to. He also tried to nab a toy tambourine and a drum from the other children (future rock star career, perhaps?).
One of the fellow dads, Grant Collins, indicated George already seemed comfortable in his regal role explaining, "George is bubbly, quite feisty and he took control. He crawled to the center of the room and he owned the place."
And he certainly had the appropriate air of authority when giving a Game of Thrones-reminiscent death stare to a blue teddy bear.
4. He's on Course to Become a Heartthrob Like Uncle Prince Harry
Little George already has a big bunch of mates to play with, including the children of William and Kate's Turnip Toff friends (the nickname given to their posh friends in the neighborhood), pals from his Montessori nursery school and his cousin Mia Tindall.
But on a trip to a local park eyewitnesses also got a glimpse of what a future heartbreaker he might become. According to a fellow attendee at Snettisham Park who spilled the beans to Australia's New Idea magazine, George played "without a hint of shyness" and "made a beeline for a sandpit, drawn by not only the prospect of a toy tractor to ride, but in the company of a clutch of girl playmates."
5. He's a Nature Lover
George is lucky enough to be growing up with his little sister in a lavishly decorated 10-bedroom estate but it's the 20,000 acres of grounds that surround it where he is at his happiest.
He loves to ride around the garden on his miniature toy tractor, which comes complete with its very own digger bucket, and walk in the grass with the family dog, Lupo, by his side.
As his grandfather Prince Charles told Sky News, "He's one of those characters, I think, who naturally, instinctively, likes to be outside. I'm intrigued to see if it lasts, but he loves being outside, which is encouraging."
Kate also takes him on visits to a local petting zoo close to his Norfolk home where he can play with goats and other farm animals. And as we saw from the pictures of George in New Zealand and Australia in 2014, his face lights up whenever he is around anything cuddly especially if it's a marsupial also named George.
When given a book about wombats on the same trip, Kate admitted, "I will read this to George, he is obsessed with wombats at the moment. He is really into them."
When in London and staying at their city home in Kensington Palace, George will go on regular walks with his nanny to the local park and take day trips to the Natural History Museum.
William takes a more comical view of George's penchant for nature, once telling ITV News he imagines what his son will be like when he becomes an adult, "I can see George being a bit of a bum sometimes out in the conservation world with his bangles and his sandals."
6. Like His Dad, He Loves Planes and Anything With "Big Wheels"
A love of wildlife isn't the only trait the young prince has inherited from his dad; he is also obsessed with anything that flies.
Prince William has taken the unique decision to be the first direct heir to the throne to have a fulltime civilian job. When not on royal duties, he spends most weeks working shifts as an air ambulance pilot. The position means he can sometimes be home to read George and Charlotte a bedside story before they go to sleep. George is really into The Gruffalo.
On a recent trip to a local café with his grandmother, Carole Middleton, George was seen whooshing a red toy airplane through the air while making the appropriate engine noises. And during an official engagement earlier this month, the teeny royal donned blue ear defenders as he sat in the cockpit of a Red Arrow Hawk. It's the same plane which does flyovers during the trooping of the color on his great grandmother the Queen's birthday, a moment which delights George. Kate recalled later, "I've honestly never seen him so excited. His face lit up."
But he's not just a fan of flying machines; his passion extends to anything with "big wheels." Kate has revealed that her son also loves combine harvesters and fire trucks—which might explain why his favorite TV show is Fireman Sam.
7. He's Already a Fashion Icon
At the tender age of 3, George has already graced many magazine covers, posed for tons of photo shoots and been able to perfect his cute smile.
From his dungarees, which he owns in both a blue and pink hue, knee-high socks and tailored shorts, he's become a style icon like his mum. Everything he wears sells out within a few hours.
Our own favorite outfit isn't one of his preppy looks, however, but rather the attire he wore to meet the president of the United States: blue-checkered pajamas, a white monogrammed bathrobe and slippers.
8. He Has Perfected the Royal Wave
As he grows up George is going to have to carry a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. There will be ambassadors to meet, dignitaries to host, and heads of state to clink glasses with. On top of that, there will be tons of charity engagements and public appearances.
And through it all he's going to have to do the obligatory royal wave to greet his subjects.
At the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations, George stood beside Gan-Gan, as he calls her, and proved he's already got what it takes to one day follow in her footsteps. On the palace balcony, he obediently waved to the crowds below and then while watching a fly-past of jets, adorably saluted to the pilots.
As George grows older the full weight of his role as heir to the throne will start to dawn on him. But for now, William and Kate are trying to protect him as much as possible and allow their little boy to enjoy these very special childhood years with as much privacy as possible.
His life is going to be very unusual to say the least, but so far George seems to be handling it all rather brilliantly.
Happy birthday to the beloved little prince!