The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge released three official Christmas photos of Prince George on Saturday, showing the toddler in a courtyard at Kensington Palace.

The rosy-cheeked prince, who turned one on July 22, is shown posing on a staircase in black shorts, black shoes and black socks.

Over a white collared shirt, Prince George wore a grey vest with Grenadier Guardsman design knitted across the bottom.

The photos were taken by a member of Prince William's staff in late November. Within an hour, the photos posted by Clarence House on Twitter had been shared more than 3,000 times, and "favourited" more than 4,000 times.

US Magazine called him "the most adorable baby" in the three photos, with an exclamation: "See His Cute Chubby Cheeks!" The UK Mirror newspaper labelled him a "rosy-cheeked tot" and the Daily Mail had its own take: "He's more Gorgeous than ever!"

People Magazine wrote about his "knowing smirk, as if he's about to set off on a new mission," while London's ITV News said the photos show the prince has grown from a "cherubic baby" into a "beaming little boy."

Hundreds of people took to Twitter with similar sentiments: