Prince George is the cover star of Vanity Fair in celebration of his first birthday #IRepEntertain9jarBlog #TwitterTrendBlog via @myentertain9jar

THE WORLD waited with bated breath nearly a year ago as the Duchess of Cambridge went into labour with Prince William's first child.

 

Vanity Fair are celebrating Prince George's birthday with a celebratory cover[VANITY FAIR]

And nearly a year on plucky Prince George has found himself the latest cover star of Vanity Fair to celebrate his first birthday.

The tottering toddler, who has captured fans' hearts all over the world with his gurgling and giggling, will turn 1 on 22 July.

The magazine cover features the young Prince with his famous parents cooing over him as he holds court.

It was a shot taken on their first official tour as a family where they travelled to Australia and New Zealand back in April.

The plucky Prince has captured hearts around the world [GETTY]

The young boy is the cover star of Vanity Fair [VANITY FAIR]

The family were at Taronga Zoo in Sydney with father and son  in matching hues of blue while Kate opted for a vibrant yellow frock.

The mother-of-one looked incredible as she guided her young family around the outback. During the 19-day trip, third in line to the throne Prince George proved himself to be a massive hit with locals and he received enough gifts to last a lifetime, including cuddly koalas and rocking horses to a £2,200.

He also displayed a shock of blond hair, several teeth and proved himself to be a bit of a bruiser when he played with several youngsters at a session in Wellington.

And a poll recently revealed Britons actually prefer Prince William to the Queen.

It's nearly been a year since the world was captured by the Prince's birth [GETTY]

The adorable tot has two fabulous parents in Kate and William [GETTY]

But it's not all bad news for her Majesty as both herself and William are are significantly more popular than the UK's best-known politicians.

Of the 2,000-plus people surveyed by ComRes for the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday, 68 per cent expressed a "favourable" view of the heir to the throne compared with 63 per cent for his grandmother.

The Prince of Wales only managed to get 43 per cent of the vote, but the future King still ranks high in the popularity chart in comparison to leading Westminster figures.

There was no figure given to the popularity of George – but how could anyone fail to love this cheeky little chap?