Yesterday, the future British monarch turned nine years old. And the annual birthday portraits of Prince George and his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (almost always taken by their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge!) ), plus we continue to learn more and more about the boy who will one day be King.

Us, in particular, reports that George is "very protective" of Princess Charlotte and Princess Louis and "takes everything very seriously." (George is a hard worker. ) "But he is very smart and at the top of his class. He is very protective of his younger siblings and goes out of his way to help his mother with chores.

In addition to being a helper to his mother, Kate Middleton, "he is definitely a daddy's boy," says the source.

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George is truly a doppelganger of his father, Prince William, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the photo above, taken on his ninth birthday. William once revealed on a podcast about this shared passion: "It's not about finding the right one for him. It's about finding the right fit for him." (William is a big Aston Villa fan.)

Of George, a source told Us, " He's very sociable and can chat for hours about his favorite soccer players, plus he loves rugby, cricket, and all sports." The official describes the future king as "a solid, down-to-earth little boy."

George was first seen on the steps of the Lindo Wing on July 22, 2013, shortly after his birth. In recent months alone, George has been seen at his great-grandfather Prince Philip's memorial service in March, his great-grandmother Queen's platinum jubilee celebration in June, and his first appearance at Wimbledon earlier this month.

"His confidence has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years," another source told Us. 'He's assertive, confident, knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to speak his mind. His personality is really starting to shine through."

William and Kate have done their best to give George a relatively normal childhood, the magazine wrote, but George is very aware of his future as king: he considers it a great honor to be king He thinks it is a great honor to be king and frequently asks his father to lend him books on history," a source told Us. He loves hearing stories about his ancestors and the history of not only England but the Commonwealth as well. It's clear he takes it all seriously and is dedicated to serving the royal family when his time eventually comes."

Although the reign is far off in the future, this source said, "Prince George has already shown that he has what it takes to be the future King of England," and that "despite the responsibilities that come with the future role, Kate and William do not want to see him grow up too fast. . Kate and William don't want to see him grow up too fast.""They are determined to give him as normal a childhood as possible, and it is working beautifully. He is a very lovable, down-to-earth boy."