Fans spot adorable detail in Prince George's 11th birthday portrait

Prince William and Princess Kate have marked the 11th birthday of their eldest child, Prince George, with a new portrait, and some eagle-eyed fans have noticed a friendship bracelet on his wrist.

The Royal family are celebrating Prince George’s 11th birthday with a new portrait and fans have noticed a secret detail in it.

The eldest child of Prince William and Princess Kate celebrated his birthday on Monday and in line with their usual tradition, the Waleses released a brand new portrait of the pre-teen to mark the occasion.

Dressed in a dark blazer, white shirt and pants, the young royal smiled in the photo taken by his mother, and while many commented on how “handsome” he looked, others were quick to point out a bracelet on his wrist.

It’s unclear what the meaning of the string bracelet is, however People magazine has reported it’s possible it is a friendship bracelet from when George attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in London with his father and sister, Princess Charlotte, on June 21.

Friendship bracelets have become a large part of the Swift fanbase, with many creating their own and taking them to the singer’s shows where they swap them with other fans.

“The friendship bracelet is a sweet touch for an 11 year old guy. Love the ‘sweet nods’ to his personality and childhood”, one fan wrote, while another shared a gif of Swift raising a wine glass.

“What a beautiful photograph of Prince George on his 11th Birthday!!! and is that a friendship bracelet I see”, another person commented.

One eagle-eyed fan noticed George and Charlotte aren’t the only two royals who have been spotted wearing string bracelets in recent weeks, King Charles appears to have jumped on the trend as well.

Charles was spotted wearing a similar bracelet when he visited Guernsey with Queen Camilla last week.

The bracelets appear to be made up of yellow and red thread and unlike Swift’s friendship bracelets, do not contain lettering with song names leading some to believe they have a different meaning.

One person took to X where they claimed it is a Greek tradition, “King Charles’ is not a bracelet actually. It’s two red and white braided strings worn in the Balkans, typically in March as a tradition. In Greece, it’s called ‘Martis’” the person wrote.

King Charles, Princess Charlotte and Prince George have all been spotted wearing string bracelets in recent weeks. Photos / Getty Images

The King has Greek heritage as his father, the late Prince Philip, was born on the Greek Island of Corfu.

This is not the first time George was spotted wearing the bracelet. He was also seen at the Euro Finals in Berlin on July 14 donning the accessory, while Charlotte wore a number of string bracelets around her wrists the same day when she attended the Wimbledon Men’s final with her mum and aunt, Pippa Middleton.

It’s unclear how the Wales family chose to celebrate the future King’s birthday, but it was likely to be a relaxing one as the family are currently enjoying the school summer holidays together.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.