Twelve-year-old Prince George is now almost as tall as his mother; netizens “don’t recognize” the boy he once was.

There are moments when time suddenly becomes visible.

Just one photograph. Just one moment of a mother and her son standing side by side.

Yet it was enough for millions across Britain to ask the same question: “When did Prince George grow up so fast?”

During a visit to RAF Coningsby on Armed Forces Day, the center of attention was not the sleek fighter jets or the highly trained pilots. Instead, all eyes turned to the 12-year-old prince standing beside his mother, the Princess of Wales.

The little boy the world first met on the steps of the hospital in 2013 now stands nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

Time, it seems, has wings faster than any fighter aircraft.

Blessed with impressive height inherited from his father, Prince William, who stands 1.90 meters tall, and his elegant mother, Princess Catherine, who is 1.75 meters tall, George is beginning to embody the image many associate with a future king. No longer the shy child standing quietly behind his parents at royal engagements, he now appears increasingly confident, composed, and mature.

Yet it is not only his remarkable growth that has captivated royal watchers.

Behind George’s smile and curious gaze lies a passion that has been nurtured from an early age: a love of the skies.

At RAF Coningsby, George had the opportunity to explore some of Britain’s greatest aviation legends, from a historic Supermarine Spitfire carrying the markings it wore on D-Day to the modern Typhoon fighter jet capable of speeds exceeding 2,000 kilometers per hour. He listened attentively to pilots and engineers, absorbing every story, before stepping into the cockpit with the excitement of a young boy living out a lifelong dream.

Perhaps that fascination comes as no surprise.

A love of aviation seems to run through George’s veins. His father once served as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot, and just last year George reportedly enjoyed his first private flying lesson under the proud watch of William and Catherine.

Looking at George today, many people see more than a young teenager growing up.

They see echoes of William at the same age.

They see the continuation of a new royal generation.

And above all, they recognize a feeling familiar to parents everywhere: you look away for a moment, and suddenly the child you once held in your arms is taking confident steps into a future of his own.

The little boy once introduced to the world from his parents’ embrace is now lifting his eyes toward the sky.

And perhaps waiting for him there is more than a passion for flight.

Perhaps it is the long journey that will one day lead him to the British throne.