Prince William and Duchess Kate commemorated Queen Elizabeth II’s 97th birthday by posting a previously unknown photo of her on social media. It shows the British monarch surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“Today Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth would celebrate her 97th birthday,” reads the entry published on Friday by Prince William and Duchess Kate on Instagram. The photo, where Elizabeth II poses with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was taken by the Duchess herself Wales in the summer of 2022 at Balmoral Castle.
The Queen is pictured with her youngest grandchildren Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn James (children of her youngest son, Prince Edward), and great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (children of Prince William and Princess Kate). Also pictured are the three children of the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall: Mia, Lena and Lucas, and the children of Elizabeth II’s grandson Peter Phillips: Savannah and Isla. As noted by “People” magazine, the photo session was missed by, among others, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibeth.
Queen Elizabeth II
On his official Instagram profile British royal family published a portrait of the late monarch, reminding that when she was born on April 21, 1926, her family could not have guessed that the little princess would become queen in the future. She became second in line to the throne – behind her father – only a decade later, after the abdication of her uncle, King Edward VIII.
Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. She died on September 8, 2022. She was the longest reigning British monarch in history and the second longest reigning crowned head in the world.
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Main photo source: Chris Jackson Collection/GettyImages