LONDON, July 22: Kate Middleton and Prince William have departed from their longstanding tradition of releasing official portraits of their children by directly posting a new photo of their son, Prince George, to social media in celebration of his 11th birthday today.

Historically, the Princess of Wales has taken the annual birthday photos of her children and then provided these images to the press under embargo. This practice ensured that the photos were shared with the media on the eve of the child’s birthday, maintaining a level of controlled public release.

This year, however, Prince George’s birthday portrait was posted directly to the royal couple’s Instagram account, bypassing the traditional embargo process. This break from tradition follows a similar shift with Prince Louis' sixth birthday portrait, which was also shared directly online earlier this year on April 23.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s decision to post the birthday images directly has raised speculation about the reasons behind the change. While no official explanation has been given, some observers suggest that the shift may be related to privacy concerns or Kate Middleton’s recent health challenges.

The new approach was also seen on May 2, when the royal couple used their Instagram account to share a photograph for Princess Charlotte’s ninth birthday.

The exact reasons for this change in strategy remain unclear, but the move represents a significant departure from the couple’s established practice of managing their children’s public images through traditional media channels.