Royals

Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Tributes from the Royal Family Include an Adorable Must-See Baby Photo

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles and Camilla also shared meaningful pictures to celebrate the Queen

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Published on April 21, 2022 10:02 AM

The monarch turns 96 on Thursday, and the royal family marked the occasion by sharing meaningful photos on social media.

The official Royal Family Twitter and Instagram pages, which represent the Queen and other senior royal family members, got in on the fun by posting a black-and-white photo of the monarch in 1928 when she was just 2 years old. The then-Princess Elizabeth, with cute curls on top of her head, sweetly smiles for the camera while resting her head on both hands.

Today as The Queen turns 96, we’re sharing this photograph of the young Princess Elizabeth aged 2. — Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Family/Twitter

"Happy Birthday Your Majesty!" they captioned the post. "Today as The Queen turns 96, we're sharing this photograph of the young Princess Elizabeth aged 2. Then, in 1928, it was never expected she would be Queen, and this year Her Majesty is celebrating her #PlatinumJubilee — a first in British history."

Prince William and Kate Middleton's accounts celebrated the Queen's status as both grandmother and great-grandmother. The first shot showed the Queen visiting Kate's Back to Nature garden at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show alongside Prince William, while a second photo showed the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip seated on a couch and surrounded by their great-grandchildren born at the time — including Kate and William's three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — at Balmoral. The 2018 photo was first released to the public after Prince Philip died last April.

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"Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a very happy 96th birthday today!" the photos were captioned. "An inspiration to so many across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world, it's particularly special to be celebrating in this #PlatinumJubilee year."

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall shared four photos to mark the occasion, starting with a solo shot of the smiling Queen at the G7 Reception last year.

Two other photos show the Queen's relationship with Prince Charles — the Queen and Camilla smiling at the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2011 and Prince Charles kissing his mother's hand at the Diamond Jubilee Concert the same year.

The Queen, Prince Charles and Princess Anne are also featured in a black-and-white throwback shot from 1956 when the Queen was accompanied by her two eldest children at the Windsor Horse Show.

"Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a particularly special 96th birthday today, as we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee year," they wrote alongside a red balloon emoji.

Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter Princess Eugenie also paid tribute via her personal Instagram page, sharing a photo from Trooping the Colour in 1998. A young Eugenie stands in front of Prince Philip and beside the Queen, who waved to the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

"Happy 96th Birthday Granny! You have been such an inspiration to me and so many across the world. Thank you for your support, love and strength. Xx," Eugenie wrote.

On Wednesday, the Royal Windsor Horse Show released a new photo of Queen Elizabeth to celebrate her birthday.

The majestic shot, which was taken last month on the grounds of Windsor Castle, shows the animal-loving Queen standing proudly between her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale. She wears a dark green cape-style coat as she holds the reins of two of her favorite ponies in front of a magnolia tree.

Queen Elizabeth will mark her 96th birthday in a place full of reminders of her late husband Prince Philip.

On Wednesday, the monarch traveled from Windsor Castle to her Sandringham estate in Norfolk, about 110 miles north of London, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

The palace told PEOPLE that the Queen will be spending her birthday privately.

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The public celebration of Queen Elizabeth's birthday, known as Trooping the Colour, takes place in June. This year, Trooping the Colour — including the royal family gathering on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast — will coincide with a weekend of festivities to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, celebrating her historic 70 years on the throne.