Prince George, the eldest child of Prince William and Middleton, turned 13 on Wednesday, officially becoming a teenager. His milestone birthday was commemorated with a social media post from the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account, featuring the young royal in a suit, a stark contrast to his nature-oriented 12th birthday portrait.

That contrast may have been the point. As he turns 13, Prince George is also preparing to begin his studies at Eton College for the next five years, following in his father’s footsteps. With the school’s strict dress code, Prince George will likely be seen more often in the suited style featured in his parents’ birthday post.

It isn’t as if Prince George has not been wearing suits for the last few years. He has worn them for several formal outings with his parents, from June’s Trooping the Colour to The Championships, Wimbledon, in July. Those recent public engagements have raised questions about Prince George’s place within the British royal family’s fashion narrative in the years ahead.

The combination of Eton’s historic dress code and the more public-facing role the future king may take on for the House of Windsor points to a more mature chapter. It’s not dissimilar to the transition Prince William made in his own youth, and the parallels between the father and son are already evident.

Princess Charlotte’s style has been less of a reflection of Middleton’s royal looks than a subtle reference to them. At Wimbledon this year, the 11-year-old princess wore a vibrant blue dress that recalled Middleton’s blue Gabriela Hearst suit, worn to the Grand Slam tennis tournament just days earlier.

Princess Charlotte’s dress was created by Jenny Packham — a rep for the couturier confirmed the design exclusively to WWD. Packham has been a longtime favorite British designer of the Princess of Wales, dating back to her first official royal engagements in 2011.

A similar connection emerged between Middleton and Princess Charlotte at the British royal family Christmas celebrations in December 2024. While the Princess of Wales opted for a deep green McQueen coat, her tartan-style scarf mirrored the pattern of her daughter’s coat.

Functioning as a unit has always been an important element for the British royal family’s public persona, with clothes reinforcing that sense of cohesion.

More than most previous British royals, the Wales family has certainly paved the way for Prince George’s and Princess Charlotte’s individual styles as they enter adolescence. With Prince George beginning at Eton College, a refined, suited style may become the clearest marker of his transition into his teenage years.

Princess Charlotte’s cues from her mother, whether it be color palettes or designers the Princess of Wales knows well, could similarly shape the 11-year-old’s royal wardrobe. The Wales family understands fashion’s power, a lesson made clear by Princess Diana, and may draw on both past and present as it helps shape the future of the monarchy.