While King Charles' coronation is set to take place in just a few weeks, the royal family are today remembering the late Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 97th birthday.
Sharing a tribute to the late Queen on Instagram, Buckingham Palace wrote: "Today we remember the incredible life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 97th birthday.
"When Her Majesty was born in April 1926, Princess Elizabeth and her family did not expect that she would one day become Queen. Following the abdication of her uncle King Edward VIII in 1936, her father acceded to the throne.
"When King George VI died in February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II when she was just 25. Her Majesty went on to be Britain’s longest reigning Monarch - the only one in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee."
To mark Queen Elizabeth II's birthday, the official Twitter account for Kensington Palace released a previously unseen photograph of her surrounded by some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The photo was taken at Balmoral last summer by the Princess of Wales, who regularly takes the official portraits for her own children to celebrate their birthdays.
In the picture, the late monarch is joined by Prince William and Kate Middleton's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh's children Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday. This photograph - showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren - was taken at Balmoral last summer.📸 The Princess pic.twitter.com/1FOU4Ne5DXApril 21, 2023
Zara Tindall's children, Lena, Mia and Lucas, are also present, as are Peter Phillips' daughters Isla and Savannah.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Archie and Lilibet, are not featured in the photo as the Sussexes have been living in the US since 2020.
Alongside the photo, the palace wrote: "Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday. This photograph - showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren - was taken at Balmoral last summer."
-
I never know what to buy my family for Christmas - but these luxurious Hotel Chocolat gifts are guaranteed crowd-pleasersIf you’re looking for gifts crafted with imagination for chocolate lovers, take note
-
Why Chappell Roan will 'say something controversial' if she wins a Grammy -
All the winners from the British Fashion Awards and why they matterFrom the history-making model Alex Consani, to the reigning champion designer Jonathan Anderson, we run through all the winners
-
The reason why William and Kate 'refused' to move to Frogmore Cottage -
Harry and Meghan's upcoming trip will cause 'difficulties' for the royal familyA royal expert has claimed their visit to Colombia will cause 'problems'
-
Princess Anne has been admitted to hospital after 'horse incident' at royal estate -
Queen Elizabeth once gave a rare insight into George and Charlotte's relationshipThis is so sweet
-
One member of the royal family has already binge-watched BridgertonCan you guess who it is?
-
There's a special detail in this never-seen-before Royal photo of William and KateCan you spot the significance?
-
William and Kate are 'acutely aware of problems' Charlotte and Louis face in the futureThey want to ensure that their youngest children find paths that are 'meaningful and appropriate'
-
Prince William is no longer considered the public's 'favourite royal'According to a new YouGov survey, he's been dethroned
