New portrait released as Britain's Prince George as he celebrates 4th birthday

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) — Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate released a new official portrait of their son George on Friday to celebrate the young prince's upcoming fourth birthday.

George, the great grandson of Queen Elizabeth and third-in-line to the throne, was pictured with a beaming, toothy grin as he posed in a stripy blue shirt in the photo which was taken last month.

Prince George is seen in an undated photo released by Britain's Prince William, the Duke and Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge ahead of his his fourth birthday on July 22, 2017. The picture was taken at Kensington palace, at the end of June 2017. REUTERS/Chris Jackson/Pool

William and Kate, who are officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, returned to England with George and his sister, two-year-old Princess Charlotte, on Friday after five-day tour of Poland and Germany ahead of his birthday on Saturday.

"The Duke and Duchess are very pleased to share this lovely picture as they celebrate Prince George's fourth birthday, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received," William's office said in a statement. — Reuters