Princes William and George with Duchess Catherine
A previously-unseen photograph of Britain's Prince George has been made public via Twitter.
The portrait of the future king with his parents Duchess Catherine and Prince William, taken when he was around eight months old, was presented as an official gift after the family's visit to New Zealand and Australia in April this year but had never been seen globally until yesterday (26.11.14).
It is unclear who the intended recipient was but a Kensington Palace spokesperson said it was one of several presented to "people involved in the tour or people they met".
The leaked photograph was signed by the royal couple and was enclosed in a frame.
It is believed the image was taken in March when photographer Jason Bell took a series of official pictures which were subsequently released.
The spokesperson said: "I can confirm it is a photo the Duke and Duchess used as official gifts on their tour to New Zealand and Australia. It was taken by Jason Bell before the tour."
George has not been officially photographed since his first birthday in June.
The family are following royal tradition in giving the pictures as gifts.
William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth presents photographs of herself and her husband Prince Philip when on overseas tours, as do his father Prince Charles and step-mother Duchess Camilla.
Tagged in Prince William Duchess Catherine