Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine on Monday thanked well-wishers around the world as they prepared to celebrate their son Prince George's first birthday. Photo: AP/ AFP/ Twitter
We'd like to wish the Prince a very Happy Birthday! And cheers to many...many...many...more.
"The choice of a silver coin is significant as crossing the precious metal across a baby's palm is a way to wish them wealth and good health throughout their life, whilst the £5 coin is a favourite for royal celebrations," said Shane Bissett, the
To celebrate George's milestone, the Royal Mint issued a silver £5 coin, called a crown, with a design last struck for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.
They have revealed that George was a loud baby and cried a lot in the early days because he was always hungry.
William and Kate have been hands-on in bringing up their son, bathing him and putting the little prince to bed.
His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born at 4:24pm (1524 GMT) at London's St. Mary's Hospital on July 22, 2013, weighing eight pounds and six ounces (3.8 kilogrammes).
"The lives of the royal family offer benchmarks to our own. They grow up along with us, experience joy, are touched by sorrow, and confirm that life is all the more pleasant when shared as part of the national community."
"Prince George's outings are a reminder of what makes the monarchy so enduringly popular -- its humanity," said The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
But the cherubic royal has charmed onlookers during his few appearances in the public eye, particularly during the tour of Australia and New Zealand in April. And his arrival on the scene has given the royal family a major feel-good factor boost.
William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are determined to give George as much of a normal upbringing as they can, keeping him largely out of the spotlight.
Meanwhile grandfather Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are in Scotland on their annual summer visit.
Newspapers said great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II would join the party, though her husband Prince Philip is less likely to turn up as he has engagements to attend in Greenwich.
For the party, the London Evening Standard newspaper said Kate has baked George's cake herself. "The family will mark the birthday privately at Kensington Palace with close family and friends," a royal spokeswoman told AFP.
The photographer, John Stillwell, who photographed the latest pictures of the Prince, said George, who is third in line to the throne, was "very lively and very sure of himself and confident a very determined young boy".
George has only been seen in public on a few occasions, most notably on the royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in April.
"We would like to take this opportunity on George's first birthday to thank everyone over the last year, wherever we have met them, both at home and overseas, for their warm and generous good wishes to George and our family," they said.
In a short message accompanying the birthday pictures, they thanked the public for their generosity towards the little prince over the last 12 months.
William and Kate, 32, were to throw a private party with family and close friends at their Kensington Palace home to mark the occasion.
The couple released two new photographs of the family, showing toddler George fascinated by butterflies at London's Natural History Museum, ahead of his birthday on Tuesday.
Little Prince George celebrates his first birthday