Princess Kate breaks royal birthday tradition as Prince George turns 10

But this year, the picture released by Buckingham Palace to mark George's birthday was taken by a professional photographer.

The picture was released last night ahead of George's big day today.

The photographer was also the woman behind the lens for the image released to mark Prince Louis' fifth birthday in April, and the picture of William and his three children released on Father’s Day in June.

In the latest image, George is shown sitting on a set of outdoor steps at Windsor earlier this month wearing a checked shirt and teal trousers.

Smiling for the camera, the young prince was captured in a relaxed pose.

The break in tradition comes after the images released for the four years were all taken by George's mother.

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Kate's love of photography goes back a number of years, after first taking an interest in the hobby while still a child.

Last year the curator of the Life Through a Royal Lens Kensington Palace photography exhibition, Claudia Acott Williams, revealed that Kate's love of photography was first sparked by her paternal grandfather, Peter Middleton.

The curator said in an interview with the Sunday Express: "Her grandfather was a very good photographer.

"When she was a child, he would show her his slides. It was him who taught her how to take photographs."

Kate went on to study art history when she was at the University of St. Andrews.

As part of her studies she even undertook a thesis which focused on Victorian photography and images of children in particular.

It is thought George is celebrating his 10th birthday at at home with his parents and with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.