Culture

Prince George Gives Lupo A Lick of Ice Cream As Kate Middleton Celebrates His Third Birthday

Happy Royal Birthday

Is it gross to give your dog a lick of your ice cream? Prince George clearly doesn’t think so, as these adorable new shots to mark his third birthday make clear.

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Prince George turns 3 today, and to mark the occasion the palace have released four photographs of the young princeling doing his best impression of any other middle(ton) class kid, dressed in a relaxed T-shirt and shorts.

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In one of the images he is seen standing barefoot on a swing at the Cambridge’s country house, Amner Hall. The swing is engraved with the words, “William & Catherine.”

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The duke and duchess hope that people will enjoy seeing these new photographs.

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“They would like to thank everyone for all the lovely messages they have received as Prince George celebrates his third birthday.”

The pictures were taken by photographer Matt Porteous.

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Porteous said: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to take these photographs of Prince George. It was a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. I’m honored that they have decided to share these images with the public to mark his third birthday.”

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The Cambridge dog Lupo also gets a look in—in rather unsanitary fashion the boy appears to be offering the beast a lick of his ice cream in one of the shots.

Is this gross? We’re not sure.

I mean, think where that dog’s snout has been.

As WebMD writer Clark Fobian, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, says:

“You have to think of where their nose has been,” Fobian says. “Has it been inside a dead opossum on the side of the road, or the posterior of another dog, or in the litter box?”

Human and dog mouths have “a large number and a wide variety of bacteria,” Fobian says. Fortunately, most of it doesn’t make us sick, but some can. Parasites like hookworm, roundworm, and giardia can be passed from dog to human through licking. Salmonella, too, can be passed from your dog to you, or vice versa.

However, obsessing about germs is common. We feel sure his dog-mad great-grandmother, HM the queen, will approve.

Happy birthday, Prince George!